A video filmed on the communal clashes in Uttar Pradesh's Kasganj on Republic Day which led to the death of Chandan Gupta reveals some startling insights about the incident.
The video showcases a group of men 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. As per reports, 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" features in the clips that have emerged from the town that is still quite tense after the voilence.
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