Muzaffarnagar (UP), Jul 21 (PTI) Five people with criminal backgrounds were arrested on Monday for allegedly posing as Shiva devotees and attempting to steal in Kanwar camps here, police said.
The accused, identified as Suhail, Asif, another individual also named Asif, Shamshad and Abid, were arrested from the Civil Lines police station area, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sanjay Kumar said.
The accused were allegedly wearing saffron clothes and using Hindu names to blend with devotees participating in the Kanwar Yatra.
The SSP said a case has been registered against the five accused under Sections 298 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence or giving false information to screen offender), 318 (cheating) and 319 (cheating by personation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
He added that the accused have a history of criminal activities and were found entering different Kanwar camps with an intent to steal mobile phones, bags and other belongings of Kanwariyas.
Kumar said the actions of the accused could have disrupted communal harmony during the ongoing Kanwar Yatra, which draws large numbers of Shiva devotees each year.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has also been formed to probe the matter thoroughly, he said, adding that given their records, the process to book the accused under the Gangsters Act has been initiated. PTI COR ABN ABN KSS KSS
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