The police have charged the primary accused, Zafar Hayat Hashmi, under the National Security Act in the case of the communal violence that took place on June 3 in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh (NSA). Under the Gangster Act, legal action has also been filed against Vasi the builder, and Mukhtar baba the owner of Baba Biryani, Aqeel, and Shafiq.

As per the reports, Kanpur Nagar DM Visakh received the evidence from Police Commissioner Vijay Meena in order to impose NSA on Hashmi. Till now, the Kanpur police have detained about 60 people for rioting in Kanpur.

DM Visakh corroborated the information and stated that 4 suspects, including Mukhtar, the owner of Baba Biryani, have been subject to legal proceedings under the Gangster Act for sponsoring the violence. He stated, “Kanpur Police Commissioner Vijay Singh Meena had sent a proposal to impose NSA on the jailed Hayat Zafar Hashmi. The proposal has further been sent to the state government for approval. A notice regarding this will be served to Hashmi at Chitrakoot district jail, where he has been shifted from Kanpur jail.”

An in-depth inquiry into the case by the SIT earlier revealed that there was a planned strategy related to the violence in Kanpur and that each person involved in inciting violence had a specific role to play. They developed a system to pay the rioters and set prices.

SIT discovered throughout the probe that those who advocated for the violence had been promised free legal representation and financial assistance for their families. The owner of Baba Biryani, Mukhtar Baba, appointed the individuals. Haji Vasi provided the assurance of both legal and monetary assistance. The manager of Vasi, Afzal Hamza, put up a group to incite violence. Rs. 10 lakh was the amount was paid to the rioters.

Building contractor Haji Vasi, his manager Hamza, Mukhtar Baba, and his son Mehmood Umar allegedly sought to infringe on Chandreshwar Hata, according to information provided by the Bekanganj Police Station in charge during the court hearing. They had pledged to pay Rs 1 crore if the rioters succeeded in encroaching on Chandreshwar Hata.

The violence in Kanpur happened on June 3 as a result of making disparaging remarks about the Prophet Muhammad by Nupur Sharma, a former BJP spokeswoman. Following Friday prayers, a large number of Islamists joined the demonstration and started pelting stones at the police and bystanders. Later, the police in the case detained over 40 rioters and destroyed illegal properties owned by the main defendant, Hayat Zafar Hashmi, and others.

DISCLAIMER: The author is solely responsible for the views expressed in this article. The author carries the responsibility for citing and/or licensing of images utilized within the text.