MP: 17 BOOKED FOR HOLDING RELIGIOUS PROCESSION

Madhya Pradesh police have registered a case against 17 persons for taking out ‘Kalash Yatra’, a religious procession at a village in Ratlam district of the state, in which hundreds of Hindu devotees reportedly took part in violation of the Covid-19 norms, an official said on Saturday.

The district administration suspended a patwari (local revenue officer) and panchayat secretary, while a police official was also line-attached (removed from field duty), other officials said. A purported video of the procession that was held on June 3 shows several women holding ‘kalash’ (pots containing sacred water) on their heads along with hundreds of people participating in it has gone viral on social media.

“An FIR has been registered against 17 persons for taking out ‘Kalash Yatra’ on Thursday in contravention of the COVID-19 restrictions at Barbodna village,” Namli police station in-charge V P Singh told reporters.

Those named in the FIR include a priest, an owner of DJ vehicle and members of the organising committee, he said.