Five persons were arrested under the stringent National Security Act on Tuesday for allegedly taking out processions here in Madhya Pradesh on the occasion of Muharram in violation of the COVID-19 restrictions imposed by the local administration, the police said.
All the five persons, including 60-year-old former Councillor Usman Patel who resigned from the BJP in February to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act and joined the Congress, have been sent to the Indore Central Jail, they said.
Despite the ban imposed by the Indore administration on all religious events in view of COVID-19 pandemic, tazia processions were taken out in Khajrana area on Sunday, officials said.
Usman Patel, Ismail Patel (45), Ansar Patel (38), Mohammed Ali Patel (65) and Shahzad Patel (28) were arrested in this connection following an order from the district administration, Superintendent of Police-East Vijay Khatri said.
Meanwhile, Khajrana police station in-charge Dinesh Verma said they have recommended that NSA provisions be invoked against one more person for alleged violation of the COVID-19-related restrictions during the Muharram procession. He said 22 others have also been arrested in this connection and four separate FIRs registered under various IPC sections and other provisions.
