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DEHRADUN: Police on Tuesday detained 50 dubious people from Paltan Bazar area here during a verification drive launched after tension arose between traders of two communities over the alleged molestation of a girl by an employee of a footwear shop recently.
Senior Superintendent of Police Ajai Singh said the drive is being run to verify the identity of those who come from outside the state to work in shops or put up stalls on pushcarts to sell different items in Paltan Bazar area.
After the drive, 50 people were detained and brought to the police lines, the SSP said, and asked the traders to extend their full cooperation to the police in the campaign.
A girl went on September 7 to a footwear shop at Paltan Bazar where an employee allegedly molested her while showing shoes to her.
She returned home and complained about it to her parents who along with neighbours reached the police station and filed a complaint.
Acting on the complaint, the police immediately registered a case under section 74/75 (2) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita and arrested the accused named Umer (24).
Umer originally hails from Budgera village in Kiratpur area of Bijnor district of Uttar Pradesh.
One community closed its shops in Paltan Bazar on Monday in protest against alleged beating of the accused.
Angered by this, people of the other community also closed their shops raising the issue of women's safety.
This created tension in the market where heavy police force had to be deployed.
Dehradun District Magistrate Savin Bansal and Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Singh held a meeting with traders of both the communities to pacify them.
Recently, tension prevailed for several days in Nandanagar of Chamoli district over alleged "obscene gestures" by a barber belonging to another community to a minor girl.
In Rudraprayag district, more than half-a-dozen villages put up signboards at their entrances which said "Entry of non-Hindus prohibited". However, after the intervention of the police, the language of these boards was changed to "Entry of outsiders prohibited". The objectionable signboards were removed on Monday.
Reacting to the incidents, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said strict action will be taken against criminal elements trying to spoil social harmony and peace in Uttarakhand.
"People of the state are peace loving. If people with criminal tendencies come here from outside and spread unrest, it will not be tolerated," he warned.
The chief minister said a massive verification campaign is being carried out to identify such criminal elements.
"The law will take its course. We will deal strictly with criminals," he said.