Violence in Lucknow over theft of religious books

Lucknow, Sep 1 (IANS) A shop and a motorcycle were burnt in the old city area here Saturday when a mob went on a rampage after discovering that some holy Muslim books had been stolen, police said.

The incident took place in Mishri ki Bagia area of Thakurganj.

Identifying the thieves as Sushila and Rajeshwari, the mob attacked their houses and staged a sit-in there.

The protesters charged the police with protecting the two women and alleged that they were drug addicts.

A sack full of religious books was also recovered, following which angry residents blocked traffic on the busy Hardoi road.

A large posse of police has been deployed in the area, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) R.K. Chaturvedi told IANS, adding that the situation was now under control and that two criminals, Shamim and Shakeel, had been apprehended.

A warning has also been issued to the local station officer to ensure that no drug business was allowed in the area.