UP killing sparks freash communal tension

The killing of a man sparked fresh tension in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar district, which had been rocked by communal clashes last month that left 62 people dead and over 100 injured.

According to police sources, the victim, a resident of the Mukundpur village in the district, had gone to the fields on Tuesday evening, where he was allegedly hacked to death by unidentified people. His body was found by residents of his village on Wednesday morning.

Alleging that the victim had been killed by members of another community, a large number of people, carrying firearms and sharp-edged weapons, reached the spot and held demonstration demanding arrest of the culprits. They also blocked traffic on the main road and refused to hand over the body for post-mortem, said the sources.

Security personnel had been rushed to the area to maintain law and order, and senior officials had reached the village and were trying to defuse the situation, they added.

After days of lull, the western UP districts are on the boil again. Already there was tension in the neighbouring Baghpat district following the killing of a food-seller a few days ago.

Muzaffarnagar had witnessed a series of killings and attacks even after the curfew, imposed during the communal violence, was withdrawn amid the official declaration that the situation was normal.