Curfew eased for 9 hours in Muzaffarnagar, 12 BJP MLAs stopped

Curfew was eased for nine hours today in riot-hit areas of Muzaffarnagar with no reports of fresh incidents even as 12 BJP MLAs were stopped from visiting the district.
People came out in large numbers to get their daily needs as curfew imposed in Kotwali, Civil Lines and Nai Mandi areas of the district on Saturday last following communal violence, was eased from 10 am to 5 pm and later extended till 7 pm, IG STF, Ashish Gupta told reporters.
He said that reports have come in that the CD which purportedly incited tension in the area is still in circulation. Police has issued an appeal to the people not to pay heed to it besides giving an advertisement in this regard.

The government has also announced a cash reward of Rs.One lakh to anyone providing clue to the exact source of the CD/clipping, he said.
Police today stopped about 12 BJP MLAs from going to the troubled areas and also made a number of preventive arrests.
To a question on when those named in the FIRs including BJP MLAs would be arrested, Gupta said that video clippings and CD is being analysed and action would be taken on the basis of its findings.

Altogether 100 illegal arms have been recovered, preventive action taken against 1,700 people and 2,300 arm licences cancelled he said.

Three more police station incharges have been suspended on charges of deriliction of duty besides the one who was suspended earlier.
Home secretary Kamal Saxena said five persons were reported missing in Muzaffarnagar and one in Saharanpur. The state government had yesterday set up a helpline to gather information about the missing persons.
Cheques worth over rupees one crore have been distributed to the kin of the deceased and the injured, Saxena said adding that there are still about 10,000 people in relief camps and essential commodities were being provided to them.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav will visit Muzaffarnagar, Congress and the SP stated.