Aligarh Murder: Govt in action as tension mounts; Tappal CO transferred, internet suspended

The Yogi administration has directed senior officials for a stricter approach in crime against women and children.

New Delhi: A day after witnessing massive outrage in Aligarh in the wake of the horrific murder of a two and a half year old girl, the Uttar Pradesh government has swung into action. The Circle Officer of Tappal township, where the crime was perpetrated, has been transferred, and internet services have been suspended till midnight. The CO of Tappal, Pankaj Srivastava, was transferred on Monday as a fallout of the events of the past few days. Sandeep Dixit will be the new CO replacing him. In a meeting, the Yogi administration has directed senior officials for a stricter approach in crime against women and children. Apart from this, the internet services have been suspended since Sunday 5pm in the area and will remain suspended till Tuesday 12 am. Tensions escalated in the area on Sunday as protesters took to streets demanding instant justice for the two and a half year old victim. However, an uneasy calm prevailed in Tappal on Monday, with a heavy police deployment in the town, a day after it witnessed tense moments. Police struggled to keep the situation under control throughout the day on Sunday when protestors kept mounting pressure on the authorities for meting out "instant justice" in the murder case of a two-and-a-half-year-old girl, which has sparked a nationwide outrage. They somehow managed to thwart an attempt by right-wing groups to hold a "mahapanchayat" at Tappal to vent anger against the perpetrators of the crime. The call for the "mahapanchayat" was reportedly given on social media platforms by some Hindutva groups. People from the neighbouring districts tried to reach Tappal to attend the "mahapanchayat" but were prevented by the police. "The situation is under control. We will not allow anyone to create discord under the garb of genuine protest," Special Superintendent of Police (SSP) Akash Kulhari said. He said action was initiated against some persons for allegedly misusing social media to fan communal passions. The SSP denied reports of migration of Muslims from Tappal, saying "a few persons may have moved out temporarily, but they would return shortly". On June 2, a mutilated body of the victim  was found in a garbage dump, 100 meters close to her residence in Tappal Township. The toddler had gone missing on May 30. The mutilated body was discovered after a pack of stray dogs had been spotted biting what appeared to be human body parts. One of her hands was also seen disfigured. Police in its initial probe said the killing was fallout of a monetary dispute.