64 arrested in Saharanpur
MEERUT : Sixty-four people were arrested in Saharanpur in the past 24 hours, for allegedly participating in an illegal procession after Friday prayers and posing a threat to law and order, said police on Saturday.
Those arrested would be booked under the National Security Act (NSA), they said. The protestors had taken out a procession after Friday prayers in Jama Majid, under Kotwali area of Saharanpur. They raised slogans and demanded arrest of suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma who had made inflammatory remarks against the Prophet .
SSP of Saharanpur Akash Tomar said that search operation was still underway to identify the protestors and 64 had been arrested so far. “They will be booked under the NSA”, said the SSP.
He claimed that the police had approached clerics, religious heads and other influential people on Thursday to seek help in maintaining peace. Police force was deployed and all was under control.
He said that a group suddenly decided to take out a procession after prayers on Friday, without any prior permission. Later, mild force was used to control the mob and notorious elements were arrested after identifying them through videos and photographs.
Meanwhile, in the ongoing action against the protestors, a joint team of Nagar Nigam, Saharanpur police and administration bulldozed illegal residential constructions of accused Muzammil and Abdul Wakir on Saturday.
PRAYAGRAJ : Unidentified people placed eggs on the Shivling at the Koteshwar Mahadev temple in Shivkuti area of the city late Friday night.
The temple priest spotted the eggs on Saturday morning. The eggs have since been removed. Locals led by the priest have purified the area and now CCTV footage is being scanned to identify
LUCKNOW : The Uttar Pradesh government has done away with the age bar of 60 years for inmates lodged in the state’s prisons to avail a premature release, a senior official said on Saturday.
“A decision to this effect was taken 7-10 days ago. Earlier, the age restriction was of 60 years, and no prisoner could avail premature release before attaining the age of 60,” Uttar Pradesh Director General (DG), Jails, Anand Kumar told PTI.
Elaborating on the amendment in the prison policy, Kumar said, “Later, it was thought that if any person commits the culprits, police said.
The devotees, who assembled at the temple, demanded immediate action in the matter..
Station house officer, Shivkuti police station, Manish Tripathi said on the complaint of the priest, an FIR was lodged under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code against unidentified people who placed eggs on the Shivling at the temple.
Strict action will be ensured after investigation, he added. a crime at the age of 25, then he will be in prison for 35 years before attaining the age of 60. There is no way such a person would improve or show any signs of reformation.” Now, the government would consider releasing an inmate serving a life sentence after the completion of 16 years’ imprisonment if no remission was granted during the period or after 20 years with remission, he said. The DG did not specify how many inmates lodged in Uttar Pradesh prisons would benefit from this move.
As of now, there are around 1.20 lakh inmates lodged in 74 prisons in UP, Kumar said.