Shahjahanpur: Police in Shahjahanpur have registered a case against 200 unknown individuals in connection with a protest that erupted on Friday following objectionable social media posts targeting Prophet Muhammad and the Quran.
The unrest followed the arrest of a 45-year-old man for posting derogatory content online against Prophet Muhammad and the Quran. Despite police assuring the crowd that the accused had been taken into custody, protesters attempted to enter the police station around 9 pm, raised slogans, and set two two-wheelers on fire.
Shahjahanpur Superintendent of Police Rajesh Dwivedi said police had to resort to baton-charge to disperse the crowd. The protesters later blocked the Lal Imli crossing, which was cleared only after repeated persuasion.
A case was registered on Monday against 200 unnamed individuals involved in the protests, based on a complaint filed by Sadar police outpost in-charge Shivam Agarwal.
On Saturday, police also arrested a woman for allegedly posting indecent content about Hindu deities on Facebook. Several others were booked for propagating these posts.
Dwivedi said the situation in Shahjahanpur is currently calm, but a strong police presence has been maintained across the city as a precaution. Flag marches are being conducted regularly in market areas.
“We have appealed to the public not to post any comments on social media targeting any caste, religion, or individual that could harm communal harmony. Our social media monitoring team has compiled a list of individuals who have posted or forwarded the derogatory content,” he added.
The SP also said a special team has been formed to identify protesters using viral videos, police footage, and CCTV recordings.
With PTI inputs