Young Men Armed With Guns, Swords On Road In UP's Kasganj

Kasganj, U.P.: In a video from Uttar Pradesh's Kasganj, where communal clashes broke out on Republic Day, a group of men are seen on a road, armed with guns, clubs and sticks. Several gunshots are heard in the short clip apparently filmed from a rooftop around the time a young man, Chandan Gupta, was shot dead.

Not long after this video was taken, mobs would go on the rampage, burning cars, shops and houses.

Sources say the police are investigating the video to establish the sequence of events and those responsible for the clashes.

The violence erupted on Friday after a "Tiranga Yatra" taken out by activists of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) to mark Republic Day. By all accounts, the clashes started after an argument between two groups when the "Tiranga Yatra" was passing through a Muslim-dominated neighbourhood.

Visuals of 22-year-old Chandan Gupta participating in the "Tiranga Yatra" is also among the clips that have emerged from the town that remains on edge.

Gupta is seen driving a bike with two others on it.  There are several bikes, driven at a high speed, with the riders holding up the national flags and saffron ones. The men can be heard shouting "Vande Mataram" and "Bharat Mata ki jai".

The violence escalated after Gupta's death, with several "revenge" attacks over three days.

The police have filed seven FIRs or First Information Reports related to the communal clashes and subsequent violence and arson. Over 100 have been arrested.

Other pictures circulated by the police show peace committee meetings between the elders of both communities to restore peace in Kasganj, which has a population of about two lakh. There is heavy police presence across the town.