Sidhi (Madhya Pradesh): Amid drum beats and blaring music, a three-storey ‘illegal’ building of a Muslim family was demolished Wednesday by the Ujjain district administration, after a video surfaced purportedly showing some unidentified persons ‘spitting’ on a Hindu religious procession.
Three people, including two boys from the family, were earlier detained for hurting religious sentiments in this connection.
On Wednesday, a team of Ujjain municipal corporation under police protection razed the building which was home to three Muslim brothers. Videos show loud music being played on the DJ system and two men beat a drum as a bulldozer brings down the building.
In an FIR registered on 17 July, a complainant, identified as Sawan Lot, alleged that the ‘spitting’ incident happened on Monday evening, when he along with his two friends had come to see the procession of Mahakal Baba.
Lot claimed as the procession was coming near Super Gold bakery, three unidentified persons standing on the terrace of an adjacent building spat on the procession.
The complainant further said that he pointed it out to his friends after which a video was recorded. “This incident has offended my religious sentiments and those of the entire community,” he said.
On 18 July, two minors and 18-year-old Adnan Mansuri were detained on the charges under Sections 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings), 153A (offence committed in place of worship), 296 (disturbing religious assembly) and 505 (public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code.
“The three-storey house was demolished after it was found illegal. The minors boys have been produced in Juvenile Justice Board while the 18-year old has been produced in court,” Town Inspector of Khara Kuwa police station, Rajveer Singh Gurjar, told The Print.
“The FIR has been registered based on the eyewitness accounts of the people who saw it. Whether they actually were doing it or not, is a matter of investigation and for the courts to decide,” he said to a query on whether the trio had actually been spitting on the procession.
When asked about the demolition being carried out amidst loud music, Additional Superintendent of Police Akash Bhuriya said: “When an illegal encroachment is removed, it is there in the rules that before the encroachment is removed, an announcement is made. After the announcement is made, then necessary action is taken as per law.”
Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Ashish Agarwal told the media that anyone spreading animosity would not be spared.
“Those who will insult Lord Shiva will have to be prepared for a Shiv Tandav as well. This is the Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s government where not only action is taken but action is so stringent that it breaks their will-power. Those who try to spread animosity in the society will not be spared and they will also be crushed,” the BJP spokesperson said.
(Edited by Tony Rai)