Twenty-one policemen sustained injuries during a violent clash with a mob in Amravati, Maharashtra, on Friday night. The incident erupted when the crowd demanded the registration of a case against Hindu seer Yati Narsinghanand Maharaj, who had made “objectionable” remarks about Prophet Muhammad.
According to police, the confrontation occurred outside the Nagpuri Gate police station, where a mob of around 1,200 individuals gathered at approximately 8.15 pm to press their demands.
“A huge mob, including members of some organisations, came to the Nagpuri Gate police station around 8.15 pm to press for their demand of registration of a case against Yati Narsinghanand Maharaj of Ghaziabad,” Amravati Police Commissioner Navin Chandra Reddy told reporters.
However, following the circulation of videos featuring the seer’s remarks, a larger group returned to the police station.
Reddy explained that as officers attempted to communicate with the crowd, the situation escalated, and members of the mob began to hurl stones at the police. Although senior police officials managed to control the situation and disperse the crowd, several officers were injured in the attack, and ten police vans were damaged.
In response to the violence, police have filed a case against 1,200 individuals, with 26 identified so far. The accused have been charged under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including sections 299, 302, and 197, which pertain to deliberate acts intended to outrage religious feelings and actions harmful to national integration.
Authorities have also implemented a prohibitory order under section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), prohibiting assemblies of five or more people in the Nagpuri Gate area. Police are actively pursuing those involved in the rioting, as they work to restore order in the region.