Lucknow, Sep 29: Sporadic reports of killings continue to trickle from the riot-hit Muzaffarnagar district, with police officers fearing another communal flare-up.
While no communal clash occurred in the district in the past fortnight, attacks and killings continued in some parts, especially in rural areas.
At least four persons were killed in the district in the last few days, while there were several instances of attack in the city as well as the rural areas, the officers said.
A woman was killed at Palari in the district on Friday. Members of her family have lodged an FIR against two persons of another community, the police said.In another incident, a youth was shot dead near Shahpur in the district on Thursday.
His friend, who managed to escape, claimed that assailants asked their names before opening fire. A trader also sustained grievous injuries after being shot in Muzaffarnagar town on Friday.
“In all cases, the assailants killed the victims after asking their names,” the officers said.
“It appears that a deliberate attempt is being made to foment communal tension in the region. Outsiders appear to be involved in the attacks and killings,” said a senior district official.
“They could be revenge killings. Security personnel and intelligence sleuths have been alerted.” The incidents come at a time when the government is trying to convince displaced people to return to their villages. Around 40,000 people are still living in relief camps. They have refused to return, apprehending threat to their lives.
Intelligence agencies have already warned that sensitive districts in the western part of the state could face fresh communal violence if corrective measures are not taken.
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