UP police claims, illegal weapons found in Javed Mohammed's house before razing

The Uttar Pradesh police on Sunday claimed that Javed Mohammed, the alleged key conspirator of the violence in Prayagraj had illegal weapons and objectionable posters at his home.

In a statement issued after the demolition, the UP Police said that Javed's house was searched during the demolition and illegal arms were recovered. However, no member of the family or others were present during the police operation to comment on the police claim.

"We have found a 12 bore illegal pistol and a 315 bore pistol and cartridges and some documents that show objectionable comments against the honourable court," said Ajay Kumar, the Senior Superintendent of Police, Prayagraj.

The house of Javed Mohammed – a leader of the Welfare Party of India -- was razed on Sunday afternoon.

The action came hours after a notice was stuck outside his house, claiming illegal construction in the ground and first floors. The notice also claimed that he had failed to reply to a demolition order sent to him in May.

Mohammad was arrested on Saturday for allegedly being the key conspirator behind the protests that turned violent in Prayagraj on 10 June over the derogatory remarks made by suspended Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma.

The police have also taken his wife Parveen and daughter Sumaiya into custody.

Bulldozers were used in Saharanpur on Sunday, where the homes of two accused were razed. Demolitions were also carried out in Kanpur, where violent clashes and stone-throwing took place on June 3 over the same issue.

Sanjay Khatri, the District Magistrate of Prayagraj, claimed the demolition was part of a "normal process" but did not explain why it coincided with the case against Javed Mohammed for violence in Prayagraj on Friday, or why it was carried out on urgent basis on a Sunday.

"The administration acts regularly against illegal constructions… There is a set procedure including giving notice and in this matter of Mohd Javed too we followed the procedure," Mr. Khatri said.

A group of lawyers have written to the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court, claiming the house was in the name of his Javed's wife and the demolition of Javed Mohammed's house was against law. The family did not receive any notice about illegal construction, they wrote.

The Hindu quoted the family as saying that they were not aware of any official proceedings related to the illegal construction claimed by the authorities, except that a notice carrying back-dated information was stuck on their hour a night before the demolition.

Senior state police officer Prashant Kumar has said that in cases of property destruction during Friday's protests, the properties of perpetrators will be attached by the state under a 2020 law. Three tribunals have been opened in Lucknow, Prayagraj, and Meerut to look into the issue.