Meerut: Police in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut district are looking for miscreants who set on fire two houses of Muslims here on Monday.
The arson occurred after a Hindu man was reportedly shot dead on Sunday evening, police said.
Security has been beefed up at Palda village where the incident had taken place, according to a report by The Hindustan Times.
It all began after a 24-year-old Vishu was allegedly shot dead by two motorcycle-borne men, superintendent of police (rural) Kamlesh Bahadur said.
Bahadur added that Vishu’s family alleged that some Muslim youths with whom Vishu had argument during Holi murdered him.
Violence erupted when the deceased’s body was taken to burial on Monday morning after post-mortem, according to the report.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rohit Singh Sajwan told news agency PTI that of the 500-600 people who showed up for Vishu’s funeral, ‘three-four youngsters’ acted setting fire to the houses.
The officer added that police present at the area chased the youngsters away.
“The situation is under control. A senior policeman is camping in the village with a police team,” Bahadur reportedly said.
Meanwhile, four of the five people facing charges of murder have been arrested, while search is on for the fifth person, police said.