The visuals of sheer rascality that ensued in Haldwani on Thursday (8th February) have exposed the vile face of radical Islamists once again. Videos of the arson and vandalism have been doing rounds on social media ever since the mob attacked the authorities in Banbhoolpur over the demolition of an illegal madrassa.
In one such video which appears to have been shot by someone amidst the mob itself, a large number of arsonists can be seen vandalising the street.
Establishments across the street, as seen in the video, along with several vehicles have been set ablaze. Pieces of shattered glass can be seen lying on the road.
Several men donning skullcaps and some covering their faces can be seen rushing about damaging property. Men can be seen pelting stones while some others can be seen armed with some sort of equipment.
In the video, a man can be heard saying, “Be* inn sabki b**** ** * ki.” Some men can be seen torching property too. A sea of mobsters can be seen rushing at regular intervals.
Another group of men is seen pushing a police patrolling van. Towards the end of the video, it can be gauged from the audio that the man standing next to the person shooting the video wasn’t aware that the arson was being recorded. When he suspects, he asks for the phone of the person at which point the video ends.
Another video shows a group largely comprised of Muslim women coming at a group of policemen and policewomen. A cop is then seen falling on the ground while two men among the crowd of burqa-clad get too close to him as if trying to catch hold of the cop.
The policeman then gets up immediately and hits the two men with his stick by which time the crowd disburses.
A third video shot from some distance shows yellow and red flames and large plumes of smoke emerging at a distance even as a patrol vehicle damaged by the mob is parked right in the middle of the street.
Again men can be seen in skullcaps in this video while the mob continues to surround the already damaged police vehicle.
A fourth video was shot by a local residing at a locality near the site of violence. The video shot from the local’s rooftop shows a large crowd of smoke emanating from the violence site where fires were lit by the mob.
The local points to the sound of shots being fired. A total of 4 rounds of firing can be heard in the 27-second-long video.
In a fifth video, taken during the demolition in the evening, the police visibly appear surrounded and stuck as stones are pelted at them.
Police forces can be seen trying to make their way through narrow lanes even as the mob is seen pelting huge bricks and stones at them with absolutely no fear of the law.
Another video shows a patrol vehicle set ablaze in the evening and the street completely laden with bricks and stones. The video appears to have been shot from the side of the police. Stones are being thrown from the very houses under which the forces are standing on the street.
The seventh video shows police personnel passing through the street where vehicles have been burnt to ashes while blazes are emanating from another vehicle.
In the eight video, Islamists can be seen throwing large stones at the police force while they take shelter. A mobster from the crowd then throws an object after setting it on fire.
The ninth video shows a large crowd of young Muslim men, some dressed in pajama kameez and wearing a skull cap, pelting stones and actively rushing to attack with rage.
A video shot from a rooftop under the night sky shows flames and flames all across a street in the area with vehicle after vehicle burning to ashes.
The tenth video doing rounds on social media shows on camera the narrow escape of some police personnel as a petrol bomb was hurled at them right next to where a fire was raging. This attempt to kill was made from a narrow lane and at the same time, stones were being hurled at the forces.
A video from Friday morning shows the aftermath of the arson. The footage shows a charred bike, patrol vehicle and several other vehicles burnt beyond recognition.
More than 300 police personnel injured as attempt was made by the mob to “burn them alive”
Several testimonies have also come to the fore including those of the policemen who were injured and rescued from the mouth of death. According to authorities, the mob attacked the police with the intent to burn them alive.
A woman cop undergoing treatment in the hospital spoke to the media. “We saved ourselves somehow. We took shelter in a house when stones were being pelted. At least 15-20 of us took shelter. Then they (the mob) tried to set us on fire, pelted stones and everything. We saved ourselves with a lot of difficulty. Then our force arrived. The condition was very bad,” she said.
She said that stones were being pelted from all the streets on all four sides and all rooftops. “They had surrounded all the streets. We got hit a lot,” she added.
She further narrated that the person who was sheltering and protecting the police force was also abused by the mob. “The person’s house and its doors were broken. They threw glass pieces, glass bottles and bricks also from the rooftops while we were trying to escape,” she said.
The mob, she had, had blocked the roads. The woman cop said that she was unable to walk and was visibly in pain.
Another policeman recorded a video of himself which appears near the site of the incident late on Thursday evening. The cop can be seen wearing full protective gear despite which he sustained injuries owing to the fatal attack by the jihadis.
“I have been injured (in the attack) on the Banbhoolpura demolition. A big brick hit me here (upper lip). There is a swelling here. I am wounded in the leg, back and waist. My leg is scratched. I am seriously injured. I have been saved by Bhagwan’s grace,” the cop said.
Another policeman narrated their ordeal in the hospital. He said the police were the mob’s target. “As soon as we reached the demolition site, we were surrounded. They had started following us and pelting stones while we were en route. Somehow we stalled them and made it through to the site. When we reached, they surrounded us from all sides,” he said.
The cop narrated that by the time the illegal structure was demolished and some last stage of demolition was left, they started stepping out of the area by which time the mob increased.
“They (the mob) followed us as we began to leave. Some cops were left behind. Some got injured too,” he said. He also pointed at a cop lying on the bed behind him whose rib was broken.
He said that windows of vehicles were also broken by the mob and they pelted stones inside the vehicles too. “Many people suffered fractures in their shoulders. Vehicles have been burned including a patrolling vehicle, a tractor of the civic body. They had guns too and were firing shots,” he said.
He added that many have suffered severe blows to the head too.
Journalists, and media vehicles also targeted
Journalist Mukesh Saxena was among those injured in the stone pelting by the Islamists in Banbhoolpura.
His hand is plastered and supported by an arm sling and his leg is also fractured. “Police and journalists were targeted and such that the cops have got serious injuries, media vehicles have been damaged and media persons also injured,” he said.
Saxena said that this was planned. He denied that the attack was sudden. “The structure was demolished at around 4.30 pm and at 4.45 pm the stone pelting began. This was done with complete planning,” he said.
The journalist held the residents of Banbhoolpura responsible. He said the mob tried to encroach the illegal structure.
Haldwani violence
On 8th February, an unruly Muslim mob took over the streets and surrounded the area where the district administration along with police security had arrived to demolish an illegal madrassa in Banbhoolpur area in Haldwani. Angered with the anti-encroachment drive which was conducted as per due procedure, the mob targeted an entire police station injuring hundreds of police personnel.
Large stones, bricks were pelted by the mob at the personnel, petrol bombs were hurled, glass pieces and bottles were hurled from rooftops and from the ground. Gun shots were also fired by the mob.
Following this, shoot at site orders were issued by the government and a curfew was imposed. Internet is still suspended in the area and schools are shut for the time being. Authorities have said the situation is now under control.
