June 10 violence: Prayagraj police identify 16 suspects

Two days after it released the photographs of 59 suspects involved in violent protest on June 10, the Prayagraj police on Friday claimed to have ascertained the identity of 16 of them.

The protests were staged in Atala area of Prayagraj, apart from few other cities in Uttar Pradesh, against the controversial remarks of now suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma on Prophet Mohammad.

In Prayagraj, the police had issued photographs of 59 suspects that were obtained through CCTV footages on Wednesday. Many of the suspects were seen carrying stones in their hands while others were moving around on motorcycles and scooty. In order to identify the youths, the police had put up collage of their photographs at different places in old city area along with Atala area.

SSP Ajay Kumar said the police had received clues about 16 suspects in the photographs through citizens and other sources. “They were identified and raids were carried out at their homes. However, none of them was found at home following which their kin were questioned about their whereabouts. They have been warned to surrender otherwise further action would soon be initiated. Efforts are also underway to identify other persons seen in the photographs and arrest those named in different FIRs lodged after the violence at Atala,” SSP added.

Meanwhile, some locals at Atala who came out from mosques after the Friday prayers claimed that none of the youths seen in the photographs issued by the police are from Atala area. A resident of the area Guddu said that no one in the area have seen the youths in the posters earlier. It seems that people from other areas assembled at Atala on June 10 and created ruckus. Many persons of Atala area who have been named in the FIR or have been arrested later have no role in the violence, he claimed.