30 held in Firozabad for violation of Barawafat procession route

Additional superintendent of police (ASP), Firozabad city, Ravi Shankar Prasad said that around 40-50 participants were seen in viral videos taking a non-traditional route while returning home after the procession. “While 33 have been identified, 30 were arrested and sent to jail after being produced in court on Saturday,” he said.

Firozabad police on Saturday arrested 30 youths for allegedly deviating from the designated route after the Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi (Barawafat) procession on Friday. Cases have been registered against 40-50 youths on the basis of videos circulating on social media, officials said. Five cops were also suspended for dereliction of duty, they added.

The arrested youths in queue outside the district jail in Firozabad on Saturday. (HT)

Additional superintendent of police (ASP), Firozabad city, Ravi Shankar Prasad said that around 40-50 participants were seen in viral videos taking a non-traditional route while returning home after the procession. “While 33 have been identified, 30 were arrested and sent to jail after being produced in court on Saturday,” he said. The ASP added that five policemen were found prima facie guilty of dereliction of duty and suspended.

A case was registered under sections 223(a) (disobedience to public servant order) and 126(2) (wrongful restraint) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). All those arrested are aged between 18 and 23 years, mostly residents of Firozabad, with some from Etmadpur area of Agra district. The arrests were made in a joint operation by police teams from Ramgarh, Rasoolpur, Uttar and Dakshin stations. Fourteen motorcycles used during the procession were also seized, officials said. Three police teams were constituted after Firozabad SSP Saurabh Dixit took note of the viral videos.