The Rajasthan Police on Friday arrested 10 people and detained at least 13 others in connection with a rally organised by a group of Muslim men in Udaipur city on December 8 to protest against the killing of a Muslim labourer in neighbouring district of Rajsamand.
“Ten persons have been taken into custody,” Station House Officer of Pratapnagar police station Hanuwanth Singh told Scroll.in. But he refused to disclose the charges under which these men have been booked.
Multiple protests were organised in Udaipur on Thursday and Friday in support of accused Shambulal Regar. He (pictured above) has been arrested for killing Mohammad Afrazul, burning his body and circulating videos of the gruesome murder on social media last week.
One of the protests on Thursday, which was held outside the district court, led to clashes between the police and protestors. More than 40 people, including 25 police officials, were injured in the clashes. At least 226 people were detained, of which 75 were sent to judicial custody after being booked under charges of rioting, unlawful assembly, causing damage to public property, obstructing public servants from carrying out duty and assaulting them. The rest 153 were later released, the police said. Pictures carried by Dainik Bhaskar show a young man standing on top of the court building unfurling a saffron flag.
On Friday, around 220 people – most of them belonging to Hindutva outfit such as the Bajrang Dal and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad – had gathered outside the district collectorate in support of Regar. They also submitted a memorandum to the district collector, demanding that all people arrested in connection with Thursday’s protest be released. However, the protest on Friday went off peacefully and no one was detained, said the police.
Senior police officials had earlier claimed that Thursday’s protest in Udaipur were in retaliation of a rally that a group of Muslim men had organised on December 8. The group had walked all the way from the district collector’s office to Chetak Circle area, a distance of about 600 metres, and shouted slogans protesting against alleged Hindutva terror and Narendra Modi, the police said. Video of the protest had also gone viral on social media.
The police took suo motu cognisance of the matter, and registered an FIR on Wednesday, said Deputy Superintendent of Police (Udaipur east) Bhagwat Singh Hingar.
Udaipur remained under strict police vigilance on Friday. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 against unlawful assembly are in place in the district. Internet service will remain suspended until further orders from the district administration, said the police.
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