Section 144 imposed in Uttarakhand's Purola; police warn of action if law violated

Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand) [India], June 14 : The Uttarkashi district administration in Uttarakhand has imposed Section 144 in Purola which witnessed communal tensions over an alleged attempt to abduct a minor girl last month.

The district administration has also refused permission to hold maha panchayat in Purola.

Uttarkashi District Magistrate Abhishek Rohilla said that Section 144 CrPC has been imposed in Purola, a hill station in the district.

Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) authorises the authorities to issue an order to prohibit the assembly of four or more people in an area.

Uttarakhand DGP Ashok Kumar said on Wednesday that no one will be allowed to disturb law and order in the state.

"District Police and administration are fully prepared. We're taking all the steps to maintain the law and order in the state, no one will be allowed to break the law...action will be taken against those who will try to break the law," Kumar said.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had last week held a high-level meeting in the secretariat and said that the "cases of love jihad that are coming up will be strictly investigated".

State DGP Ashok Kumar, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) V Murugesan and officers of the Intelligence Department were present in the meeting.

The Uttarkashi town had witnessed tensions over an alleged abduction attempt on a 14-year-old girl by two men, including one from the minority community, last month. Both men were arrested.

Murugesan said on Monday that strict action will be taken against those taking the law into their hands.

"Recently there have been incidents of elopement in Uttarkashi, Vikas Nagar and other areas. Local people are agitating. FIRs were registered. Police are doing their duty to establish peace. Whoever breaks the law, strict legal actions will be taken against them. An investigation is underway," he said.