Lagatar24 Desk
Kanpur, June 4: Police on Saturday reported that 36 persons have been arrested in connection with the violence that erupted in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, on June 3 following purported insults to Prophet Muhammad made by a BJP spokesperson.
Officials said the arrests were made after police combed through camera footage to identify those participating in the incident, and that three FIRs had been filed in the case against unknown individuals.
“More people are being identified on the basis of the videos,” said Police Commissioner Vijay Singh Meena.
According to the Commssioner, the conspirators will face charges under the Gangster Act, and their property will be seized.
To maintain law and order and prevent any unforeseen incidents, heavy security has been enforced in the city.
After Friday prayers, members of two groups battled and flung stones at one other in Kanpur, in response to a request to shut down marketplaces in protest of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma’s alleged remarks against Prophet Mohammed during a recent news debate on the Gyanvapi issue.
“Some young men number 50-100 suddenly stepped out on the streets and started sloganeering. Another group opposed it and it escalated to stone-throwing. Around eight to ten cops were present at the spot then who tried to intervene and controlled the situation to some extent. The control room was informed immediately and senior officials including me reached the spot within 10 minutes,” Meena had said yesterday.
