SP's Usman Alvi arrested for stone pelting on kanwariyas in Bareilly

Bareilly (UP): Two people were arrested on Tuesday in connection with an incident of stone pelting at a kanwariya procession near a mosque in the Jogi Nawada area of this Uttar Pradesh district, police said.

Tension prevailed in the area after Sunday's stone pelting incident.

"Former corporator Usman Alvi and one of his aides have been arrested in connection with the incident. A case has been registered against 11 people and 162 unnamed persons in this connection," Superintendent of Police (City) Rahul Bhati said.

The case was registered based on a complaint lodged by Amit Kumar, the police outpost in-charge.

The Ittehad-e-Millat Council, however, contested the version of events and alleged that the kanwariyas had thrown ash towards the Shahnoori mosque.

This action was opposed by people coming out of the mosque after offering namaaz, it said and added that a complaint was lodged in this regard at Baradari police station but no step was taken.

On Tuesday, the organisation held a protest at the district headquarters and submitted a memorandum addressed to the president at the district magistrate's office.

The organisation also condemned Sunday's violence.

District Magistrate Shivakant Dwivedi said the incident is being probed by the police and the district administration and it will be baseless to say that the police action was one-sided.

Citing the FIR, the police said some unidentified people had flung a white powder resembling lime towards the mosque when the kanwariya procession reached near it.

Reacting to this, some people started hurling bricks at the procession.

Around 200-250 people from both sides started hurling bricks at each other, damaging a government vehicle and sparking panic among locals.

Kumar, the police outpost in-charge, said a group later blocked the road near the Pilibhit bypass.

Following the incident, Senior Superintendent of Police Prabhakar Chaudhary had said in a statement, "A kanwar procession was passing through the area at around 3 pm. As it went past a religious spot, there was a dispute over throwing (of something), and when it moved 40-50 metres ahead, stones were pelted by some persons. When the footage was examined, it was seen that stones were hurled from both the sides."

"The police force present at the spot has controlled the situation, and the procession has moved ahead. So far, there is no information about anyone getting injured. There is peace at the spot," the statement added.

The kanwariyas were on their way to Budaun to get water from the Ganga when the incident occurred.

According to police, the kanwariyas had held a brief protest to demand action against their attackers.