Uttar Pradesh: Kanpur Police arrests builder Haji Wasi, accused of funding prime suspect Zafar Hayat Hashmi in Kanpur violence

In the Kanpur violence case, the Kanpur Police apprehended another suspect, Haji Wasi. Haji Wasi, a builder, is one of those accused of sponsoring the June 3 Kanpur riots. According to police, Haji Wasi was the primary financier of the chief accused, Zafar Hayat Hashmi. Kanpur Police had already arrested his son Rahman.

UP | Kanpur Police arrested Haji Vasi from Lucknow, an accused who allegedly funded the June 3 Kanpur violence and was absconding ever since.

(Source: police) pic.twitter.com/H7wU7fxYWk

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) July 5, 2022

According to reports, the SIT had already secured a Non-Bailable Warrant (NBW) from the court against him and 18 other defendants in the case. Haji Wasi’s name was also highlighted during the anti-CAA protests, as reports suggest.

Haji Mohammad Wasi is also accused of erecting unlawful buildings valued at 100 crores. According to the reports, the police officers have requested papers from the registrar’s office. The police have details about 31 such buildings in the city, all of which are unlawful. Eleven of these buildings’ plans were not filed. Land investments have been undertaken in the names of family and close friends. The Income Tax Department will now look into the income of crores of rupees over a ten-year period.

Kanpur violence

Days after BJP Spokeswoman Nupur Sharma got death threats for allegedly committing “blasphemy” against Prophet Muhammad, horrific violence occurred in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur district, with Islamists calling for a district-wide shutdown to protest against the statement and demanding her arrest. After Friday prayers, thousands of Islamists joined the rally and began pelting stones at the police and the public.

Later, the police detained over 40 miscreants in the case and demolished unlawful properties possessed by primary accused Hayat Zafar Hashmi and his cronies. The police also discovered damning communications on Hashmi’s phone and investigated his bank accounts in order to track down money received from Gulf nations to allegedly support the violence.