Former Samajwadi Party member arrested in Kanpur violence case

Nizam Qureshi, a former member of the Samajwadi Party was arrested on Saturday by the police in connection with the Kanpur violence that erupted on June 3.

Former Samajwadi Party member Nizam Qureshi was arrested on Saturday in connection with the violence that erupted in Kanpur on June 3. Police said he attempted to incite a riot using social media.

Qureshi allegedly organised a secret meeting on June 1 to shut down shops in Kanpur.

Beconganj police arrested Qureshi on Saturday after he was named by the Kanpur Police in the FIR for the clashes that erupted in Kanpur on June 3. Commissioner Vijay Singh Meena of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) arrested Qureshi as he was trying to flee to another state.

The Samajwadi Party’s district president said that Qureshi was suspended by the party 10 days back for being inactive.

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Violence erupted in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur on June 3 after one group tried to force shopkeepers to shut down shops at a popular market in the city over alleged offensive comments about the Prophet Muhammed on a television show.

Clashes erupted between two groups and more than 30 people, including several police personnel, were injured in the incident.