Keywords – Communal Tensions, Social Media Debate,Kidnapped, Girl ,Hindu , Muslim .
Purola town in Uttarakhand has witnessed an uptick in communal tensions over the last few weeks .Over the attempted kidnapping of a 14 year old girl by two men one of whom was a Muslim and other Hindu, both men were promptly arrested by the police but this provoked an unabated communal frenzy in this quaint hill town which eventually spread to neighbouring areas.
Reports and disturbing visuals revealed that right wing outfits help protest in several areas and attack the shops and houses of Muslims in Purola and threatened Muslim merchant with dire consequences if they did not evacuate their shops.
Hindu right wing groups had also announced that a mahapanchayat would be held this Thursday several people and organizations wrote to the Chief Justice of India expressing apprehensions that this proposed mahapanchayat would lead to an outbreak of communal violence in the area a petition was also filed by one association of protection of civil rights .
However a vacation bench of the top court refused to entertain this and directed the NGO to approach the Uttarakhand High Court on the very next day which was the same day on which the mahapanchayat was supposed to be held. The High Court heard the matter ,Advocate General informed the bench that the Scheduled Congregation of Hindu right-wing parties had been called off after the state intervened and the situation was diffused to that extent while recording the statement.
The bench directed the state of fulfill its constitutional obligations of :(a) maintaining law and order and( b )ensuring that there is no loss of life or property .
The bench comprising Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Rakesh Thapliyal however refused to direct the Police to register FIR against the people who had issued ultimatums to Muslims in the area to leave their homes and businesses. The bench said that it was for the police to decide whether any cognizable offence had taken place and to address any grievances with respect to this the decision of the police.
The magistrate could be approached under Section 156(3) of the Code Of Criminal Procedure interestingly the bench also directed the petitioner its associates and all others concerned to refrain from social media debates on the issue in order to normalize the situation. Chief Justice Sangeet already observed and I quote we would not like a flare-up on social media with allegations and counter allegations or debates on television or social media.
Written by – Drishti Pandey, College – S.S. Khanna Girls Degree College, University of Allahabad Semester – 4th an intern under legal vidhiya
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