Saharanpur Police Books Over 40 People For Pelting Stones At Police Post During Protest

Saharanpur: Police were put on alert on Sunday after some people who gathered to protest against priest Narsinghanand Saraswati's remarks on Prophet Muhammad pelted stones at the Sheikhpura police post, officials said.

A case has been registered against 21 named and 40-50 unknown individuals under various sections of the law for pelting stones, they said.

A group of people took to the streets outside the police post in Sheikhpura on Sunday to protest against Narasinghanand's remarks.

Superintendent of Police (City) Abhimanyu Manglik said, "The incident occurred when members of the Muslim community gathered at the Sheikhpura Qadeem post to submit a memorandum. Amid the crowd, some unruly elements began throwing stones at the police post, creating a tense situation in the area." Police responded promptly, dispersing those involved in pelting stones and deploying additional police personnel to maintain order, he said.

Manglik confirmed that no one was injured in the incident and that approximately a dozen individuals have been taken into custody.

Police are now identifying the perpetrators through videos of the incident and have issued a high alert in the district.

Two FIRs have already been registered against him -- one in Ghaziabad and another in Amravati, Maharashtra .

His aides have claimed that Narsinghanand has been detained over allegations of making objectionable remarks against Prophet Muhammad during a programme held at the Hindi Bhavan of Ghaziabad on September 29 and his whereabouts are not known.

Police have not confirmed his detention yet.

Heavy police deployment has been made outside the Dasna Devi temple in Ghaziabad where he resides to avoid any untoward incident.