Saharanpur tense, drone cameras deployed

Lucknow, July 27 :

Authorities Sunday deployed drone cameras to keep peace in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur district where communal violence claimed three lives and left over a dozen critically injured.

Officials admitted the situation in the district was still tense although there had been no violence Sunday morning.

A curfew clamped Saturday after the violence remained in force, a district official told IANS.

The official said any decision to relax the curfew in the city would be taken by police and the home department.

With an injured man succumbing to injuries, the death toll in the clashes now stands at three, police said.

The condition of over a dozen injured, mostly with gun shot wounds, is critical, officials said. They include a police constable and a Home Guard personnel.

Security forces, meanwhile, deployed drone cameras to keep a vigil on “mischievous elements”.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has sent two senior officials to camp in the violence-hit city and oversee the security arrangements.

Paramilitary forces, including the ITBP, CRPF and the RAF, were deployed following telephonic conversations between Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Akhilesh Yadav.

The maximum deployment has been done in areas where the population is a mix of Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus.

Violent clashes erupted on Ambala Road in Saharanpur Saturday over a land dispute.

Several vehicles were burnt in the frenzy, gun shots were fired and business establishments were targeted.

(IANS)