The Nainital district administration on Friday (9th February) addressed a press briefing on the violence that was perpetrated by Islamists in Haldwani’s Banbhoolpura on 8th February during the anti-encroachment drive. The administration clarified that 2 people have died and not 4 as reported earlier, 3 are critically injured.
District Magistrate Nainital, Vandana Singh has revealed in the press briefing that the attack on the state machinery was planned. Singh showed footage of the violence that injured more than 300 police personnel.
Close-up footage showing the very first incident of arson as well as drone visuals of the same were displayed at the briefing.
Within 30 minutes since the demolition drive began, the mob started to take over the streets. Videos of the petrol bomb attack on the police station, vehicles being set ablaze and an attack on police personnel inside the police station were shown to the media.
Media vehicles and vehicles of citizens were also targeted. DM Singh categorically mentioned that the attack and arson by the mob were unprovoked.
“No one provoked them (the mob), no one tried to harm them, no one tried to hurt them. Despite that, an unprovoked attack was attempted on the police personnel inside the police station. They were not let out. They (the mob) tried to burn them (the cops) alive,” the District Magistrate said.
Footages were also shown from days before the demolition drive when notices were served in this area over the illegal encroachments.
In this footage, as explained by DM Vandana Singh, no significant amount of stones can be seen on the rooftops of the structures in the area which begets the question as to how the mob came in possession of such a large quantity of stones pelted on the police personnel on Thursday.
The first attack, the DM revealed, was made by the mob on the team of the municipal corporation by pelting stones at them from rooftops on all four sides.
Mob planned attack simultaneously when petition filed in HC against demolition was being heard
Despite being unable to grant sufficient evidence of ownership as against evidence available with the state, the opposing party tried seeking a stay on the demolition notice.
They moved the High Court seeking a stay on the notice issued by the district administration. The hearing went on for two days and HC refused to give relief to the petitioner.
Singh said, “Our preparation was completed three days ago itself and so taking into account the HC order, we went ahead with the anti-encroachment drive.”
No one was provoked, we moved our equipment as per due procedure and started the drive peacefully, she added. Within 30 minutes of the demolition drive, the mob began to attack.
Singh said that in the footage from 30th January, no stones can be seen on the rooftops in the Banbhoolpur area. Considering the large number of stones that were pelted on 8th February, the DM pointed out that the attack was planned by the mob simultaneously when the petitioner’s case was being heard in the HC.
“This means it was planned that when the demolition drive will be held, we will attack the forces and we will try to demoralise the state machinery,” she said.
Three-pronged planned attack attempted at the police force and municipal corporation team by the mob
In a shocking revelation, the attacks were so systematically planned that for every failed attack, there was another attack planned with the aim of killing.
The DM narrated that the first attack was with stones targeted at the team of the municipal corporation and the police.
Seeing that the forces did not budge with stone pelting, the mob then launched a second attack with petrol bombs and hurled them inside the police station.
At this point, vehicles were set ablaze and property was being damaged. But the police personnel still did not withdraw.
Seeing this a third mob, the DM said, gheraoed the police station. Magistrate, police personnel, officers, some state machinery and teams among others were present inside the police station.
“Those who were inside the police station were not allowed to come out. Stones were first pelted on them, then petrol bombs were hurled and vehicles stationed outside were set on fire. The smoke from the fire filled the police station and it got suffocating inside,” Singh said.
Warning announcements were made by the force, tear gas shells were fired and water cannons were released to put the fire off and save those stuck inside the police station from suffocating. Despite all this, the mob did not budge.
Officials then received information that shots were fired at the officials present inside the police station. “Whether the arms used were legal or illegal is a matter of investigation,” DM Singh said.
It was after this that a curfew was imposed, orders were given to use force and shoot-at-sight below the waist for the safety and security of security officials.
As soon as the mob was disbursed from the police station area, the vandals moved to Gandhinagar area and surrounded it with the intent to terrorise state machinery and residents.
Security officials brought the situation in Gandhinagar under control even as a large mob kept moving out of Banbhoolpur to other areas.
Attack aimed at the state machinery
DM Singh said that the nature of the violence was not communal but rather an attempt at attacking the state machinery and authorities.
She said that the mob was not trying to save the structure but to attack the police station.
“They tried to challenge the law and order in the state,” she said.
More damage could have happened if more time would have been given to stall the demolition
Nainital DM Vandana Singh said that the more time that would have been given, the more damage could have been done by the arsonists across Haldwani.
This can be gauged from the extent of damage done by the mob by planning and preparing between 30th January to 8th February.
“If we would have delayed the demolition, they would have gotten more time to prepare the attack. This could have been severe had they been given more time,” Singh said.
The demolition drive was not new and not done in isolation
The administration had been conducting demolition drives on illegal structures in various areas in Haldwani for the past 15-20 days, the DM said.
The anti-encroachment drive was being conducted after the High Court’s order. Singh said that due procedure has been followed ahead of the demolition drives including serving notices, heeding concerns and objections and were addressed.
“…After the HC’s order action has been taken against encroachment at various places in Haldwani…Everyone was given notice and time for hearing…Some did approach the HC some were given time while some were not given time. Where time was not given demolition drive was conducted by PWD & Municipal Corporation. This was not an isolated activity and was not targeted to a particular asset…” the DM said.
Singh underlined that the demolition drive in Banbhoolpura was not an isolated one but part of a wider anti-encroachment drive going on for weeks.
Madrasa that was being razed in Banbhoolpura was illegal
The empty property has two structures that were being demolished in Banbhoolpura were being razed as part of this very demolition drive.
The two structures, Singh said, are nowhere registered as religious properties and neither are they officially recognised as such.
“Some people call it madrassa and some call it a purnamaz sthal (a former place for namaz). But there is no official record of their existence at present. We got the place emptied, took over the open space and a notice was put up on these structures,” Singh said.
She pointed out that the area is called “Malik Ka Bageecha” but the documents with the municipal corporation show that it is not registered under this name. Instead, the property is registered as “najul land” of the municipal corporation.
Najul land is a type of government land which is used for non-agricultural purposes like building roads and other such public amenities/properties.
On these grounds, a notice was stuck on the structures ordering the removal of illegal encroachments in 3 days. It was clearly stated in advance by the administration that if the same is not done then those staking claims would have to prove ownership of the property or else it would be taken down by authorities.
Singh said that the date of 4th February was selected for the demolition drive and the above-mentioned instructions were given on 30th January 2024.
On 3rd February, a discussion was held in this regard between all stakeholders. Those against the demolition requested time from the district administration to move High Court.
However, since time had already been given earlier and the administration did not give more time. On 4th February, some documents were presented by the stakeholders which eventually led to a halt in the drive.
The structure, which belonged to the corporation, was sealed with mutual agreement and the PAC (Pradeshik Armed Constabulary) was posted.
“There was no possibility of anyone’s interest getting affected, no one was living inside that property, no one was being evicted, and no one’s house was involved in it. That was an illegal structure. All due process was followed,” the DM said.