FIR against protesters demanding action on Narsinghanand's Prophet remark in UP
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The absence of concrete action against the controversial Hindu priest Yati Narsinghanand for making derogatory remarks against the Prophet driven protests, where an effigy of the priest was burned, led to an FIR being registered against 42 individuals in Bareilly, UP.
According to police officials, they are currently reviewing CCTV footage from the area to identify the unnamed individuals involved in the protests. Two participants have already been arrested in connection with the unrest.
Bareilly City Superintendent of Police (SP), Manush Parik, confirmed that an FIR was lodged under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. The accused, identified as Samir and Firdous, along with 40 unidentified individuals, face charges under sections 223 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant) and 285 (danger or obstruction in public way or line of navigation).
Parik stated, "Two of the accused have been arrested. Strict action will be taken against all those involved." The protests erupted late on Monday night when a group of locals allegedly gathered at the Eent Pajaya crossing, where they set the effigy of Narsinghanand on fire. Reports indicate that tensions escalated as the crowd allegedly misbehaved with police officers who arrived at the scene.
In response to the disturbance, police employed mild force to disperse the protesters and detained two youths. Subsequently, a larger crowd from the Muslim community gathered outside the police station, demanding the release of those detained.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Devendra Kumar, along with Inspector Amit Pandey and additional police forces, responded to the gathering, urging the crowd to disperse peacefully. However, when the group allegedly refused to cooperate and exhibited further unruly behaviour, as per the police, the police took stern measures to disperse the gathering.