Death toll in Indian town violence over demolition of ‘madrasa, mosque’ rises to five

The death toll in the violence over the demolition drive of “illegal structures" in a town of the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand rose to five despite strict restrictions on a third consecutive day, officials said on Saturday.

Authorities had imposed a curfew and shut down the internet in the Banbhoolpura area of Haldwani in the state’s Nainital district after a violent protest erupted as officials conducted a drive to demolish a madrasa, or Muslim school, and adjoining Muslim prayer hall, which officials claimed the structures were “not registered in government records.”

A.P Anshuman, a top police officer in the state said Saturday's death toll rose to five in Thursday’s violence and three people were seriously injured.

“The situation in Haldwani is normal and the curfew has been lifted. Curfew, however, continues in Banbhoolpura,” he said, adding that five people have been arrested and further investigations are underway.

Police said no fresh incident of violence has been reported.

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Dozens of people, including police and protesters, were injured during the violent clashes which broke after the authorities reached the area to carry out the demolition.

Nainital’s top official Vandana Singh had told reporters that structures were not registered as any religious structures, while the residents had said the madrasa and the prayer hall or mosque existed for years.

Last month, authorities in the Indian capital demolished a mosque believed to have been built 600 hundred years ago. The mosque maintained that no notice was served before it was destroyed.

Amnesty International earlier this month urged Indian authorities to immediately halt the “unlawful” demolitions of Muslim properties in the country.