Recent events in Haldwani have drawn attention to the connection between last year’s Railway land encroachment case and the recent violence following the demolition of an illegal madrassa. The mastermind behind the Haldwani violence, as identified by Uttarakhand Police, is Abdul Malik. Interestingly, Malik had been providing free legal aid to individuals involved in the encroachment case.
The demolished madrassa was under Malik’s management, and he also led protests against its demolition, as reported by Nainital Senior Superintendent of Police Prahlad Narayan Meena in The Indian Express. Uttarakhand High Court lawyer Ahrar Baig noted that Malik garnered significant public sympathy due to his legal assistance to those facing eviction notices, which may have contributed to the protests on his behalf.
Malik’s arrest occurred on Sunday (11 February) in Delhi, and he was subsequently brought to Dehradun. On Monday, the Haldwani Municipal Corporation issued a recovery notice of Rs 2.44 crore against him for damage to public property.
In the aftermath of the violence, 30 individuals have been arrested, and weapons were seized from many of them. The police continue their search for additional suspects, having detained and questioned over 150 people so far.
Last week, a joint team comprising 700 members from the police, administration, and municipal corporation carried out the demolition of an illegal madrasa and prayer site situated on government land. This action triggered a violent response from a mob of 10,000 people in the Muslim-dominated area, resulting in stone-pelting and the torching of the Banbhoolpura police station with petrol bombs.
Since then, the affected area has been under strict curfew, while curfew restrictions in other parts of Haldwani have been gradually eased. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has pledged to take decisive action against rioters and continue efforts to reclaim government land from encroachment.
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