Haldwani violence: 'The attack was already planned, an attempt was made to burn the policemen', Nainital DM told these big things on Haldwani violence

Nainital DM Vandana Singh held a press conference on Friday regarding the attacks, stone pelting, and arson on the police, administration, and municipal corporation team that had gone to demolish the illegal madrasa and namaz place built on government land in the famous Banbhulpura of Haldwani, Uttarakhand.

Vandana Singh said, "After the order of the High Court, action was taken against encroachment at many places in Haldwani. Everyone was given notice and an opportunity of hearing, some approached the High Court, some were given time, while some Time was not given. Where time was not given, demolition operations were carried out by the PWD and the Municipal Corporation. This was not an isolated activity and was not an activity targeted at any particular asset." DM Vandana Singh said, “You can see in the video that the police force is not provoking and killing anyone or harming anyone.”

The DM said, “We decided to continue the demolition drive as there was no restriction on the assets, no rights of any individual… The legal process to remove encroachments is going on at various places and hence the same was done here. Our teams and resources moved and no one was provoked or harmed, causing loss of public property through our teams (police and administration). The operation started peacefully... despite the entire process being carried out properly, it took half an hour. A large mob inside the building first attacked our municipal team."

He said, "It was planned that the forces would be attacked on the day the demolition drive was carried out... We dispersed the first mob with stones and the second mob that came had bottles filled with petrol." They threw fire at it… Till then our team had not used any force.

He said, "...the mob surrounded the police station and people inside the police station were not allowed to come out. They were first pelted with stones and then attacked with petrol bombs. Vehicles were set on fire outside the police station." And started suffocating due to the smoke... Tear gas and water cannons were used only for the security of the police station...''

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