Moradabad was on the boil on Wednesday when angry groups of Muslims came on the streets and clashed with the police after reports of desecration of Holy Quran.
A police team had gone to a house where they had allegedly desecrated the Quran. As news spread, hundreds hit the street and fought pitched-battle with the police. The police vehicles were set ablaze.
Senior officials reached the spot but the angry crowd pelted stones. A DIG-level officer was also injured in the clashes. In recent past, Uttar Pradesh police has faced flak for excessive use of force against Dalits and Muslims.
Police denied that there was any desecration but residents insisted that the police party desecrated the holy book. Locals said that the policemen who went to Taslim Ahmed's residence had snatched the holy book which his daughter was reading and thrown the pages.
The road to Sambhal was blocked. Angry protesters set fire to a police chowki (outpost). The firing by policemen further angered the crowd. Nearly half-a-dozen persons were injured but no one had died in the violence.
TIH Bureau
