The crime branch on Tuesday sent summons to all 17 persons present on the dais, including former ACP Samsher Pathan, and the five persons who delivered speeches.
The police said that it has recovered CCTV footage, based on which they are reconstructing the sequence of events. A few more dozen arrests are likely in the coming days, the police said.
The five persons who delivered speeches at Azad Maidan are Maulana Niyamat Noori, Guddu Bhaiya, Maulana Akhtar Ali, Maulana Amanullah Barkati and Maulana Ghulam Abdul Qadri. Of these Qadri was reciting prayers and had asked the protesters to calm down, sources said.
“We have issued summons to all 17 persons and will be recording their statements. The speeches are being examined to find out whether they instigated the protesters,” said a senior crime branch source.
Moreover, according to sources, rioters kidnapped constable A. Sathe attached to the SRPF for over 45 minutes. “They lifted Mr Sathe from the spot and carried him till nearby Manish market and injured him before abandoning him. The rioters are captured on CCTV cameras installed outside CST, and we are looking for them,” the source said.
The officer further said that they have blocked a website called www.indianarmyfans.com [1] after Internet users were abusing each other on the riot issue; the website got over 1.2 lakh hits 24 hours after the riots.
Links:
[1] http://www.indianarmyfans.com