This story is from July 27, 2020

UP: 77 booked in Bahraich for Friday group namaz

As many as 77 persons were booked in Bahraich for offering Friday prayers in a congregation in violation of lockdown curbs. An FIR was registered late Saturday on the report of a police circle officer following an inquiry.
UP: 77 booked in Bahraich for Friday group namaz
Representative image
LUCKNOW/BAHRAICH: As many as 77 persons were booked in Bahraich for offering Friday prayers in a congregation in violation of lockdown curbs. An FIR was registered late Saturday on the report of a police circle officer following an inquiry.
In the past four months, 1,500 persons have been booked across the state for violating lockdown norms and offering namaz in groups.

On Friday, circle officer, Kaiserganj, Jang Bahadur Yadav, was informed by sub-inspector Harshvardhan Singh that people in Jathora village were offering namaz in a congregation. On being tipped off, UP 112, police response vehicle and a police team reached the spot and dissuaded people from holding the gathering. People informed the police that imam Shamim Ahmad had called them for namaz. However, many of them dispersed before the police team arrived.
The circle officer conducted a preliminary probe and lodged an FIR against 47 named persons including the imam along with 30 unidentified attendees.
“All the 77 attendees were booked on charges of violation of prohibitory orders in view of pandemic, negligently spreading disease dangerous to life, and disobedience of quarantine rule and Disaster Management Act,” said SHO, Jarwal Road, Harshvardhan Singh.
Bahraich superintendent of police Vipin Mishra said, “We are regularly making announcements asking people not to hold gatherings. Even clerics have asked people not to assemble in mosques for prayers, but some people are not paying heed. Stern action will be taken against them.”
In last four months, UP police has registered cases against at least 1,500 people for violating lockdown and assembling for namaz. Maximum 300 people have been booked in Bahraich, followed by Hardoi 220, Lucknow 150, Basti and Auraiya 40 each, Muzzafarnagar 35, Saharanpur 34, Pilibhit and Sant Kabirnagar 30 each, Pilibhit and Kheri each, Aligarh 22 along with others in Deoria, Badaun, Meerut, Mau, Azamgarh, Prayagraj, Mirzapur and Shamli.
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