Gwalior violence: 5 FIRs against 700 people; cops suspect role of Gurjar event organisers

Gwalior: Cases have been registered against 700 people after a crowd attending a Gurjar meet went on the rampage in Gwalior city of Madhya Pradesh a day before and a tight vigil is being maintained, police said on Tuesday.

The crowd damaged vehicles and hurled stones, prompting the police to resort to lathi-charge, officials had said.

Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Rishikesh Meena on Tuesday said five FIRs were registered in three police stations against around 700 people. He said at least 20 people are named in the FIRs in connection with rioting and damaging government properties.

Rioters are being identified and they will be arrested, he told reporters.

He said conditional permission was given for holding the public meeting in the Phul Bagh locality to a community on Monday.

“By creating a ruckus, they violated the conditions of the permission and it seems that incident occurred with the tacit approval of organisers,” the police officer said.

On Monday, participants of the gathering created a ruckus at the district collectorate and when police tried to stop them, they threw stones at parked vehicles. Police cane-charged the violent crowd and also lobbed tear gas shells.

Before the violence, Jaswant Singh, Gurjar Samaj office-bearer and one of the organisers of the event, had claimed atrocities had been committed against his community for long.

“The statue of Gurjar king Mihir Bhoj is covered with a tin shed, which should be removed. Political parties should field candidates from the community as per population,” he had said and demanded the formation of a Gurjar regiment in the Army and an inquiry into the alleged fake encounter of a youth from the community in Morena.