Hindutva activists demolish mazar in UP; several held; second case in two days

Kotwali (UP): Police in Kotwali, Uttar Pradesh, detained several individuals after members of a Hindutva group demolished a grave in Navayug Market, marking the second such incident in the state within two days.

A video surfaced on Monday, February 16, showing at least six men using hammers to destroy the shrine. Kotwali Assistant Police Commissioner Upasana Pandey clarified the footage was from about two months ago, but action was swift: “Taking cognizance, the police have immediately registered a case under relevant sections, and the accused have been taken into custody.”

She added that the ground situation remains peaceful, with further legal proceedings underway and law and order intact.

This follows a similar case in Ghaziabad on Monday, where police arrested Hindu Raksha Dal functionary Prince Thakur, 25, from Nandgram, for damaging a decades-old mazar under the flyover near Hindon river bridge and Chhath Puja Ghat. Footage showed Thakur at the site with two others, though only he was identifiable.

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