Ex-sarpanch among 120 booked over bail celebrations in Nuh

Police registered an FIR against former Naheda sarpanch Mohammad Nasru, 43, and his supporters on Tuesday after videos of the procession were widely shared on social media

At least 120 people, including a former sarpanch (village chief), were booked after a procession to celebrate his release on bail allegedly blocked traffic on Jurhera Road in Nuh, police said on Thursday. Some participants were also seen brandishing country-made pistols in videos of the procession, police said.

Nasru was arrested on August 22 for allegedly embezzling approximately ₹19 lakh in public money and taking away government records related to village development works.

Police registered an FIR against former Naheda sarpanch Mohammad Nasru, 43, and his supporters on Tuesday after videos of the procession were widely shared on social media.

Nasru was arrested on August 22 for allegedly embezzling approximately ₹19 lakh in public money and taking away government records related to village development works. The alleged irregularities came to light following an inquiry carried out on the directions of the Nuh deputy commissioner.

A court granted him bail on September 19, and he was released from jail the same day.

Following his release, his supporters took out a 2km procession on the night of September 19 from Bada Mod on Jurhera Road to Naheda, police said. The convoy comprised at least 14 vehicles, including SUVs, and 40 motorcycles.

Current Naheda sarpanch Zubair Khan, whose complaint led to the fresh FIR, alleged that several participants climbed onto vehicle roofs and played loud music on car stereos, while Nasru was garlanded by supporters as he stood through the sunroof of one of the cars.

“The procession resulted in roadblocks at several places that disrupted normal traffic movement and also caused inconvenience to commuters,” he alleged.

Police said participants also set off fireworks when the procession reached the village, while some were recorded brandishing countrymade pistols.

Krishna Kumar, public relations officer of Nuh police, said several videos of the procession were circulating on social media. The complainant and other villagers also provided some videos to police.

“Based on these videos, at least 10 to 12 suspects have been identified, including the former sarpanch who had come out on bail. It was for him that the welcome procession was taken out. They all will be arrested,” Kumar said.

The fresh FIR was registered at Bichhor police station under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to rioting, unlawful assembly, obstruction of a public way, endangering life or personal safety, criminal intimidation and disobedience to an order promulgated by a public servant, as well as the Arms Act, police said.

Khan was also the complainant in the earlier case in which Nasru was arrested, police said.

In that complaint, Khan alleged that in 2023, Nasru and his associates came to his house and forcibly took away old panchayat records relating to expenditure on development works. The records, he alleged, related to works in which financial irregularities were subsequently detected. Khan alleged that Nasru failed to return the records despite repeated requests and that he was abused and threatened, following which he filed a complaint with the district administration.

An FIR under Section 406 (criminal breach of trust) of the Indian Penal Code was registered against Nasru and others at Bichhor police station on January 23, 2026, police said. Nasru was subsequently arrested in connection with the case.