The Uttar Pradesh Police on Thursday night registered a case against 150 unidentified people after eight policemen were injured in a clash with pilgrims in Sambhal district, reported ANI. The incident took place on Wednesday night when the driver of a passenger bus and a few other pilgrims allegedly slapped a local boy when he refused to move his herd of cattle from the road.
The passenger bus was ferrying pilgrims from Ajmer Sharif Dargah in Rajasthan to Moradabad. Trouble started brewing after a heated argument between the passengers and some locals from nearby Kamalpur village. “Some of the passengers had got off the bus and an argument started between them and the villagers,” said Sambhal Superintendent of Police Balendu Bushan Singh. The villagers then allegedly held captive four passengers who happened to be members of an Islamic religious group, reported The Indian Express.
A police team was sent to the spot to bring the situation under control. In the meantime, the passengers, barring the four who were held captive, took the bus to Chaudhary Sarai police station in Sambhal and created a ruckus. “They blocked the highway and demanded that their men be released. A police team rushed to the village and brought the four men to the police station,” Bhushan told the daily.
The protestors also accused the police of being partial towards the villagers. They pelted stones at the policemen, injuring eight of them. Later, additional force was deployed to control the situation. Policemen are still patrolling the area.
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