A Muslim family’s three-story building was demolished by the Ujjain district administration in Madhya Pradesh amidst dhol and DJ music on Wednesday, 19 July for allegedly ‘spitting’ on a Hindu religious procession – ‘Mahakal ki Sawari’ that took place on Monday, 17 July.
Videos of the incident that surfaced on social media sites maintained that the house was razed down in the police presence and glaring music was being played amid drum beats by some men outside the building.
The house belonged to three Muslim brothers. All three brothers, including two minors, were earlier arrested by the Ujjain police based on the complaint filed by Sawan Lot along with his friends Yogesh Barmar and Ajay Khatri who alleged that the ‘two bothers spitted on the procession from the roof of their house and they saw them doing so’.
Based on the complaint, the police registered a First Investigation Report and detained the three brothers on the charges under sections 295A (deliberate attempt to incite religious feelings), 153A (offence committed in the place of worship), 296 (disturbing religious assembly), and others of Indian Penal Code.
Akash Bhuriya, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) said to the media, “Some individuals are arrested based on an FIR as they are accused of spitting on the religious procession in an attempt to disturb the communal harmony. Municipal Corporation and Revenue Department were informed about the incident and the illegal encroachment was removed in their presence.”
Clarifying the use of music, dhol, and DJ while the building was being demolished, the ASP, “Use of drums while carrying out any demolition is a traditional practice as to publicly announce the encroachments”, said to media after the demolition.
However, a police officer claimed that the accused unintentionally ‘spitted’ and it was not a deliberate action, as one of them has a habit of spitting and the other was chewing gum and there is a possibility that it happened by mistake, the Quint quoted.
Meanwhile, Ashish Agrawal, Bhartiya Janata Party spokesperson in the town while addressing the media said that no one will be spared for spreading animosity and will be crushed.
The Town Inspector, Rajeev Singh Gurjar said, “The illegal building was demolished, two minor boys arrested have been produced in the Juvenile Justice Board and the adult has been produced in the court”, the Print quoted.
