UP: Imam booked for leading mass prayer in Bahraich

LUCKNOW: An imam of a mosque and nine others were on Saturday booked in Bahraich for holding Friday namaz in violation of lockdown restrictions.
So far, at least 10 imams and 300 others have been booked for offering mass prayers in Basti, Sant Kabirnagar, Deoria, Badaun, Kheri, Pilibhit and Lucknow.
Station house officer of Kaiserganj in Bahraich, Sanjay Kumar Singh, said: “Imam Abdul Aleem and nine others had gathered at Beri Maheshpur mosque in Kota area of Kaiserganj on Friday.A police team reached the spot and dissuaded them from holding a gathering. People said the imam had called them for namaz.”
Aleem and nine others were booked for violation of prohibitory orders in view of pandemic, negligently and likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life, malignant act likely to spread infection of disease and disobedience to quarantine rule and the Disaster Management Act.
Bahraich SP Vipin Mishra said, “All the 10 accused have been quarantined for 14 days. We are regularly making announcements asking people not to hold gatherings. Even clerics have asked people not to assemble in mosques but some persons are not paying heed.”
In two weeks, UP Police has registered cases against at least 300 people for violating lockdown by assembling for namaz.