The Chhatarpur District Administration in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday demolished the house of a prime accused along with some others, a day after four police personnel were injured in a mob attack at a police station as protesters turned violent while demanding action against a religious leader for allegedly using derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammad in Maharashtra’s Nashik.
The police also raided more than 100 locations through the day and detained over 50 suspects for questioning of which around 20 were arrested, Superintendent of Police (SP), City, Aman Mishra told The Hindu.
He said that the accused whose house was brought down with a bulldozer was identified as Haji Shehzad Ali, a local Muslim leader, who had led the protests and instigated the mob.
Apart from Mr. Ali’s bungalow, his brother and a local councillor Azad Ali’s as well as some more accused’s properties were also demolished on Thursday evening.
Mr. Ali, who is a former district Congress vice-president, is currently absconding and the police is working to find him.
Earlier on Wednesday evening, more than 500 protesters gathered outside Kotwali police station, demanding an FIR to be lodged against Ramgiri Maharaj, a religious leader, for allegedly using derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammad and Islam during an event in Maharashtra’s Nashik last week. The protesters, however, turned violent after they were barred from entering the station.
Chhatarpur SP Agam Jain, in a Wednesday night video message, said: “Members of a particular community came to give a memorandum at Kotwali police station. They were assured the time but some miscreants turned to stone pelting, which was brought under control by the police.”
Kotwali station in-charge Arvind Kunjur and three other personnel had suffered injuries in the attack and were admitted to the district hospital.
Over 150 booked under serious charges
After the incident, the police also booked more than 150 people. The FIR was registered under many serious charges, including Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Sections 109, 196, 197(1), 299, among others.
Chhatarpur District Collector Parth Jaiswal told The Hindu that an anti-encroachment drive had already been going on against the illegal construction in the district and that a notice had also been issued to Mr. Ali previously as his house had been built without permission.
However, the bulldozers may have arrived sooner at his house after his alleged involvement in the incident came to the fore.
Mr. Jaiswal said the administration and police will continue to take further necessary action in connection with the incident such as revoking the arm licences, if any of the accused possess weapons.
“Attacking government officials at a government property is a serious criminal offence which cannot be neglected,” he said. Mr. Mishra also said that the police got inputs about the presence and use of other weapons during the protests, and that the efforts are being made to seize them.
Various videos of the incident also appeared on social media, which showed police personnel and other officials taking cover and closing the gates of the station as stones fall in the premises. Some videos also showed large crowds gathered outside the police station. The police also fired tear gas shells to disperse the mob.
Protests have erupted in various parts of the country, especially Maharashtra, against the alleged derogatory remarks made against Prophet Mohammad and Islam by Mr. Maharaj, head of the Maharashtra-based Sadguru Gangagiri Maharaj Sansthan, last week at Shah Panchale village in Sinnar taluk of Nashik district during a seven day-long religious event that concluded on August 17. A clip from the event went viral on internet this week.
Multiple FIRs have already been registered against Mr. Maharaj in various districts of Maharashtra such as Thane and Pune, under many sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) such as 302 (uttering words with intent to wound religious feelings), 192 (provocation with intent to cause riot), among others.
‘Matter being sensationalised with trimmed video’
Earlier, Mr. Maharaj has said that the matter was being sensationalised and a part of the one-and-a-half-hour event’s video was trimmed and made viral.
“I raised my concern over the atrocities Hindus are facing in Bangladesh. I only said that if we are not careful, similar incidents can occur in India as well. I said so referring to Bangladesh and their culture of marriage as practised in Islam. The only motive was that Hindus should unite,” he had said, speaking to The Hindu.
Reacting to the incident, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav had said that he has directed officials to identify the accused and take strict action against them so that such an incident is not repeated in the future.
“Madhya Pradesh is a ‘State of Peace’, anyone taking the law into their own hands in a planned manner will not be tolerated at all. I have given clear instructions to the senior police officials to identify the culprits quickly and take strict action against them so that such incidents do not recur in the future. It is our priority to maintain peace and harmony in the state,” he said on X late Wednesday night.
Published - August 22, 2024 02:16 pm IST
