Beopar Mandal head, others booked

The police on Tuesday booked the Beopar Mandal president and members of society for rioting and unlawful assembly besides outraging religious feelings.

The Solan Beopar Mandal and Hindu protesters had held a demonstration here on Monday.

A press release issued by Solan SP Gaurav Singh on Tuesday said the Sarva Hindu Samaj and Beopar Mandal, Solan, had announced a symbolic bandh in protest against the lathicharge on Hindus by the Shimla Police, and against outsiders residing in the city without registration.

The demonstration was led by Beopar Mandal president Kushal Jethi and Hindu Samaj representatives Mukesh Sharma, Mupendra Thakur, Ashish and others. The police said the rally was to commence at Children’s Park and end at the old bus stand while proceeding via Upper Bazaar.

During the demonstration, some protesters scuffled with a man on the Mall Road and raised objectionable slogans against a particular community. Apart from this, the protesters broke hoardings outside some shops. The rally was “diverted” from the fixed route towards Kotla Nullah.

The police said the demonstrators deliberately deviated from the fixed route and took the rally towards the Thodo Ground.

The police claimed that objectionable slogans were raised during the demonstration following which a case had been registered at the Sadar Solan police station under Sections 189(2), 190, 191(2), 299 and 353(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for unlawful assembly, rioting, deliberate and malicious attempt to outrage religious feelings and circulating report containing false information.

Interestingly, the police mentioned that they handled the demonstration professionally and the rally concluded peacefully without any untoward incident. It said those who tried to take law into their hands had been booked.

Claiming he was called by the police regarding the matter, Beopar Mandal president Kushal Jethi said no route had been earmarked for them as they had not sought any permission for the rally. He said abusive language was used by a person of a certain community to instigate the demonstrators, but they managed to control the situation immediately.