Police initiate legal action over Muharram procession violations in Srinagar

The Jammu and Kashmir Police have initiated legal action after certain individuals committed deliberate and unlawful acts during a Muharram procession on Friday.

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Thousands of Shia mourners on Friday took out a Muharram procession in Srinagar to mark the eighth day of mourning. This was the third consecutive year that permission has been granted for the procession after it was banned in Srinagar city following the eruption of militancy in 1990.

While officials said no major untoward incident took place during the procession, police stated that in violation of laid-down conditions, certain individuals committed deliberate and unlawful acts during the Muharram procession on MA Road, Srinagar.

A Srinagar police statement said these actions were intended to “provoke unrest, disturb public order, and disrupt communal harmony, posing a serious threat to the security and integrity of the nation.”

Police said that, accordingly, legal action has been initiated, and an FIR under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been registered at Kothibagh police station. The accused have been identified and legal proceedings are underway, police added.

Srinagar Police reiterated its “commitment to maintaining peace and will continue to take firm action against any attempts to destabilise public harmony through subversive or provocative activities.”

While processions are carried out on the eighth and tenth Muharram, the Jammu and Kashmir administration is yet to decide about the 10th Muharram procession.

Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar Bidhuri, had said on Friday that the decision on the 10th Muharram procession will be taken at an appropriate time. “We are also in contact with everyone regarding that,” he added.