Bahraich violence: Sarfaraz and four other accused sent to 14 days' judicial custody

Bahraich: A local court here on Friday sent the five men arrested in connection with the murder of a youth in the Maharajganj area during a Durga idol procession to 14 days' judicial custody, police said.

Sarfaraz, Mohd Talim, Abdul Hameed, Faheem, and Mohd Afzal were produced before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Pratibha Chaudhary.

So far, 60 people have been arrested by the police in connection with the gunning down of a youth on Sunday and subsequent arson and vandalism.

Ram Gopal Mishra, 22, part of the religious procession, died of a gunshot wound during a Hindu-Muslim confrontation.

The death triggered a series of flagrant incidents in the area the next day, with angry mobs torching several houses, shops, showrooms, hospitals, and vehicles.

Due to the still tense atmosphere in the district, the hearing was held at the residence of the CJM.

Almost a week since the ruckus, on Friday, many shops still remained closed amid a heavy deployment of police.

Barricades were erected at several places and vehicles were not allowed to go past them without a check by police.

The main mosque in Maharajganj Bazar which was at the heart of the Sunday flare-up saw no worshippers for Friday prayers, while a sparse crowd did populate other mosques in the district. The market there had no shoppers.

The Maharajganj area remains under vigil from the sky by drones and helicopters, and on the ground by police, PAC and RRF soldiers.

The district has been divided into nine sectors and three zones to be guarded under the supervision of magistrates.

The five men sent to judicial custody were arrested Thursday by the Uttar Pradesh Police after a gunfight in which two of them received bullet wounds.

Police claimed the five were allegedly trying to flee to bordering Nepal and were shot at during a confrontation.

The gunfight took place in the Hada Basehari area under the Nanpara Police Station limits near the Nepal border, according to police. Hada Basehari is around 15 km from Rupaidiha -- a transit point between India and Nepal.