The suspects involved in the violence in Haryana’s Nuh district are hiding in the Aravalli hills. The STF and police teams have employed drones to locate them and are detaining individuals after discovering their hideouts. Although arrests will be made upon gathering evidence, the police have already arrested 8 individuals hiding in the hills.
Violence erupted in Nuh on 31st July. Subsequently, as the police began arresting those involved in the violence, many from the surrounding villages of Nalhar sought refuge in the Aravalli hills. Some of them have been hiding there for days and claim to be innocent. The police have clarified that no innocent individuals will be arrested, but those involved in the violence will be prosecuted.
With the assistance of drones, the police and STF are identifying the hideouts of those concealed in the hills. On Tuesday, 8 individuals were arrested from the hills. The following day, the police detained several more. All the detained are said to be from Nalhad and Mevli villages. They will be formally arrested after evidence is gathered from interrogations. Thus far, 188 individuals involved in the violence have been detained.
On July 31, the day the violence transpired in Nuh, over 3,000 individuals were trapped in the Shiva temple in Nalhar.
Allegedly, miscreants hurled bullets and stones at the entrapped individuals from the hill, complicating the police’s efforts to safely evacuate them.
The temple is flanked by hills on three sides. After the violence abated, when the police searched the neighbouring villages, those involved in the violence took refuge in these hills. Several arrests have already been made by the police.
The segment of the Aravalli hill near Nalhad is not much higher than that in Nuh. Some pathways allow locals to easily ascend the hill. This has made it challenging for the STF and police to apprehend the accused. Hence, they’re first pinpointing exact locations using drones before detaining the suspects.
Police sources mentioned that some detained youths had communicated with previously arrested individuals through calls and even shared WhatsApp videos both before and after the violence.
The mobile phones of these detained individuals are being scrutinised by the cyber cell, and arrests are being made as evidence surfaces.