21 arrested in Mumbai over Ram Navami clashes
March 31, 2023 22:06
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As many as 21 persons have been arrested so far in connection with the stone pelting at a Ram Navami procession in Mumbai's suburban Malad (West), the police said on Friday.
Tensions began on Thursday night following disputes over the loud DJ music being played in the procession as it was passing through the vicinity of mosques in the Malvani area, a police official said.
A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against nearly 300 identified and unidentified persons at the Malvani police station, he said.
As per the FIR, more than 6,000 persons had participated in the Ram Navami procession organised by the Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and other Hindu organisations.
The procession began from Ram Janki temple late in the afternoon.
Around 7.25 pm, as it was moving towards Jama Masjid, around 100 to 150 people objected to the high volume of music as namaaz was going on in the mosque, said a local police official.
As the volume of music was not lowered, there was some slogan-shouting and one of the men who had objected to loud music allegedly hurled a stone at the procession and it hit a participant, he added.
Police personnel deputed for security along the route immediately took the man who had thrown the stone into custody, he said.
As per the FIR, when the procession was near the Ali Hazrat mosque around 8.45 pm, a mob of 200 to 250 persons began to pelt stones.
As the police tried to bring the situation under control, some people in the mob hurled stones at them and manhandled some police personnel, the FIR said.
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