Shahjahanpur: Police have registered a case against 200 unidentified people in connection with Friday night’s violent protest over derogatory social media posts against Prophet Muhammad and the Quran.
The unrest broke out after police arrested a 45-year-old man for posting the objectionable content. Around 9 pm, protesters attempted to storm the police station, raised slogans, and set two two-wheelers ablaze. Despite being told that the accused had already been arrested, the mob did not disperse.
Superintendent of Police Rajesh Dwivedi said police had to use baton charge to control the crowd, which later blocked the Lal Imli crossing before being cleared. On Monday, an FIR was lodged against 200 unknown people based on a complaint by Sadar police outpost in-charge Shivam Agarwal.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, police arrested a woman for allegedly posting indecent remarks about Hindu deities on Facebook, and cases were filed against others for sharing the posts.
Dwivedi said the situation in Shahjahanpur is under control, but additional forces have been deployed, and flag marches are being carried out in market areas. “We urge people not to post or share content that could disturb communal harmony. Our monitoring team has identified those involved in posting or forwarding the derogatory content,” he said.
A police team has also been formed to identify protesters using viral videos, footage captured by police, and CCTV recordings.
