
11 booked, 7 held after Haldwani communal clash
Uttarakhand Police book 11, arrest 7 after communal tension in Haldwani
- By Gurmehar --
- Friday, 02 May, 2025
Tension broke out in Haldwani town of Nainital district, Uttarakhand, on Tuesday evening after a fight between members of two communities. The incident reportedly began because of an argument related to alcohol consumption. People from both sides started throwing stones at each other, which led to chaos. The police quickly reached the area and took action to stop the violence.
The trouble started in the Safdar Ka Bageecha area, near a graveyard. Banbhulpura police received a report about a fight in the area. Prakash Chand, superintendent of police (city), said that when police arrived, they saw two groups involved in a violent clash.
One person named Mohammad Shariq claimed that two people from New Basti, Bhim Nagar, had beaten and abused him. This news spread quickly, and more people from both communities gathered, which made the situation worse. Soon, the area was filled with people shouting and fighting.
Although the police managed to break up the crowd and bring back peace for a short time, the situation flared up again later. A person named Kunal Sagar called the police to report that people from the other group were throwing stones again. He also said that two people named Tariq and Moin tried to stab him and had beaten him.
When the police reached the scene again, they found members of both groups throwing stones and shouting abuses. The police had to work hard to control the situation for the second time that evening. After strong action, the violence finally stopped, and things became calm.
Police officials said that they had registered a first information report (FIR) against 11 people from both sides involved in the violence. Out of those, seven people were arrested by Wednesday. The investigation is still going on.
Police name accused and continue probe
The police gave the names of the 11 people involved in the case. They are: Shariq Ansari, Mohammad Tariq Ansari, Mohammad Kamil Ansari, Shadab Ansari, Adnan Ansari, Kunal Sagar, Ajay alias Lara, Subham Sagar, Satyakam alias Gabru, Rohan, and Ashwani Kumar.
All of them have been charged under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which replaced the older Indian Penal Code. The charges include Section 115 for causing hurt, Section 191(2) for rioting, and Section 352 for intentional insults that could lead to a breach of peace.
SP Prakash Chand also explained how the incident began. He said that during the investigation, it was found that a group of people from one community were drinking alcohol inside a tempo. Some members of the other community saw this and objected to it, which led to a fight. Both sides started attacking each other, which included stone-pelting and physical violence.
The police arrested seven of the 11 accused by the next day. The arrested people are: Mohammad Tariq Ansari, Mohammad Kamil Ansari, Shadab Ansari, Adnan Ansari, Shariq Ansari, Satyakam alias Gabru, and Shubham Sagar.
ALSO READ: UP government approves hike in daily allowance for PRD personnel
Police are now trying to find more information and check if others were involved. They are also taking steps to make sure such incidents do not happen again. Patrolling in the area has been increased, and police forces have been deployed to maintain peace.
The local administration is keeping a close watch on the situation. Officials said they are also in contact with community leaders from both sides to keep the peace and avoid any further conflict. They have urged the public not to spread rumours or take part in any activities that could increase tension.
This incident has raised concerns about law and order in the region. The government and police are under pressure to handle the situation carefully and ensure justice is done. The case is being closely monitored by senior officials.
The authorities have assured the people of Haldwani that action will be taken against those who were involved in violence, no matter which side they belong to. They also said that maintaining peace and harmony is most important and everyone must cooperate with the law.