Uttar Pradesh's communally sensitive district Muzaffarnagar, where large scale communal violence had claimed over 60 lives and left thousand displaced in 2013, is again on the edge following killing of a young student allegedly by members of a particular community.
According to the sources, tension prevailed at Nasirpur village in the district, where a violent clash between the members of the two communities claimed the life of Akash Kumar late on Monday night.
The district administration had a tough time in persuading the family members to cremate Akash's body. Akash was cremated amid tight security arrangements on Tuesday.
An angry mob had on Tuesday tried to torch the house of the accused but it was foiled by the cops. The mob, however, torched a vehicle which was parked outside the house.
The mob also held demonstrations before the BJP legislators and other saffron leaders, who flocked the village after the incident.
The family of the accused had fled from the village fearing retaliation, sources said. Police have arrested three people in connection with the violence, which had erupted following a dispute over drainage in the village. Raids were being conducted to nab the other accused, sources said.
The entire village has been turned virtually into a fort with security personnel in strength deployed there to prevent any flare, sources said. Security personnel have also been deployed around the mosque at the village.
Senior officials have been camping at the village. ''Our primary focus is to normalise the situation and prevent any flare up,'' said a senior district police official in Muzaffarnagar.
Muzaffarnagar had witnessed large scale communal violence in 2013. Over 60 people had been killed in the violence, which also left thousands others displaced. A large number of displaced people had not gone back to their native villages fearing attacks despite the assurance by the administration.
