Haldwani Violence Mastermind Abdul Malik Sent To 10 Days Police Custody

Abdul Malik, the main suspect in the Haldwani violence, appeared in front of the sessions court on Saturday night and was sent to police custody till March 6. The Nainital Police had sought his 10-day custody after nabbing him from Delhi. The Uttarakhand Police arrested the accused in connection with the violence that took place on February 8 in the Banbhoolpura area of Haldwani.    

According to Uttarakhand Police Headquarters (PHQ) Spokesperson Nilesh Anand Bharne, the State Director General of Police Abhinav Kumar has announced a cash reward of Rs 50,000 for the Uttarakhand Police team that detained Abdul Malik. He also said that the Nainital police were continuously searching for Malik after the violence broke out during an anti-encroachment drive in Haldwani. 74 people have been arrested in the matter so far.   

Meanwhile, the Municipal Corporation in this locality has issued a recovery notice amounting to Rs 2.44 crore against Malik. He was instructed to remit the specified amount to compensate for the damage inflicted on government property during the clash.   

The police reported that the Banbhoolpura police station was set ablaze by the mob, followed by stone-throwing incidents and vehicle arson. In response to this, the administration authorised a shoot-at-sight directive in the affected area. During the unrest, a total of four individuals lost their lives, while 250 police officers sustained injuries.