Kanpur violence ‘mastermind and financer’, builder Haji Wasi arrested by Uttar Pradesh Police

Violence breaks out at Parade Market, Kanpur, over alleged comments made by BJP leader Nupur Sharma in a televised debate on Friday. PTI

New Delhi: Haji Wasi, who allegedly funded the 3 June Kanpur violence, has been arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police, Joint Commissioner of Police, Anand Prakash Tiwari informed on Tuesday.

The cops said that builder Haji Wasi was the main financer of Zafar Hayat Hashmi, the main accused of the 3 June violence that broke out after Friday prayers following a call to shut down all the shops as protest against the remarks made by former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma on Prophet Muhammad.

Wasi was arrested late on Monday night near the Amausi airport in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. He was absconding since the day of the violence. The police have procured a non-bailable warrant against him.

“During investigation, we came to know about Haji Wasi’s involvement in 3 June violence. Since then we were looking for him, and we had also procured NBW against him. Police teams were searching for him in Delhi, Lucknow and Kanpur. We arrested Haji Wasi Monday late night from near Amausi Airport in Lucknow,” a ToI report quoted joint commissioner of police Anand Prakash Tewari as saying.

The officer also informed that now the police are in the process of producing him in court.

A report by Hindustan Times said that Wasi has more than 80 illegal buildings in Chamangunj and Jajmau areas of Kanpur.

The Uttar Pradesh Police said that the entire violence was planned at Mukhtar Baba’s restaurant at Dr Berry crossing in Becongunj. The conspirators met several times at the restaurant and funds were provided to them by Baba among others.

The cops also informed that Mukhtar Baba arranged biryani for the stone-pelters after the 3 June Kanpur violence.

On 23 June, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) had arrested Mukhtar Baba and probed a number of accused including a Samajwadi Party MLA.

The ToI report said that during the investigation, it was revealed that Haji Wasi’s family were involved in conspiring the 3 June violence in Uttar Pradesh. His son, Abdul Rahman, and other relatives supported him to instigate the violence.

On 3 June, violence broke out in Kanpur over suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma’s controversial statement on Prophet Muhammad during a prime-time debate on a national TV channel.

With inputs from agencies

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