Heavy police deployment in Aligarh's Tappal, Internet services suspended till midnight

An uneasy calm prevailed in Tappal on Monday with a heavy police deployment in the town, a day after it witnessed tense moments, even as the district administration ordered the suspension of Internet services in the Khair area till midnight. District Magistrate (DM) Chandra Bhushan Singh ordered the suspension of all Internet services in the entire Khair tehsil area till midnight, an official release said on Monday.

Prohibitory orders under section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) have been promulgated in Tappal, which falls under Khair tehsil. Following the brutal killing of a two-and-a-half-year-old girl in Tappal, some mischief-mongers had been spreading rumours and circulating fake video clips on the social media, the release said, adding that these posts were likely to inflame communal passions.

The police were monitoring all such posts and strong punitive steps would be taken against all anti-social elements, the DM said. The police struggled to keep the situation under control at Tappal throughout the day on Sunday when protestors kept mounting pressure on the authorities for meting out "instant justice" in the murder case of the two-and-a-half-year-old girl, which has sparked nationwide outrage.

They managed to thwart an attempt by right-wing groups to hold a "mahapanchayat" to vent anger against the perpetrators of the crime. The call for the "mahapanchayat" was reportedly given on social media platforms by some Hindutva groups. People from the neighbouring districts tried to reach Tappal to attend the "mahapanchayat" but were prevented by the police.

"The situation is under control. We will not allow anyone to create discord under the garb of genuine protest," Special Superintendent of Police (SSP) Akash Kulhari said. He said action had been initiated against some persons for allegedly misusing social media platforms to fan communal passions.

The SSP denied reports of migration of Muslims from Tappal, saying "a few persons may have moved out temporarily, but they will return shortly". The Circle Officer of Tappal, Pankaj Srivastava, was transferred on Monday as a fallout of the events of the past few days.

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