MUMBAI: A huge crowd gathered outside the Ghatkopar police station for several hours on Sunday evening where Mufti Salman Azhari, an Islamic preacher, was detained by the police in connection with a hate speech case registered in Gujarat.
The Gujarat police arrived in the city on Sunday and Azahari was detained and brought to the Ghatkopar police station for official paperwork.Hearing about the detention of Azhari, a crowd began gathering near the police station, demanding his release. The crowd did not leave the area despite police asking them and late in the night the crowd allegedly blocked the road, affecting traffic. The police had to forcibly evict the crowd and the cops were making announcements over loudspeakers to leave the area and go home. The traffic had come to a standstill and the crowd began gathering near the police station late in the evening. Azhari’s supporters were demanding the release the preacher.
There was no information on whether Azhari was arrested or was still under detention till late Sunday night.
Junagadh police in Gujarat arrested two persons on Saturday after a video of an inflammatory speech allegedly delivered by the preacher went viral on social media, a police officer has said. The speech was delivered at an event held in an open ground in Junagadh on the night of Jan 31, he said. After the video went viral, an FIR was registered against Azhari and local organisers Mohammad Yousuf Malek and Azim Habib Odedara under Indian Penal Code sections 153B (promoting enmity between different religious groups) and 505 (2) (making statements conducive to public mischief).
The local youths, many of Azhari’s supporters, had gathered on the main road outside the police station. Azhari was inside the police station. The Gujarat police wanted to take him to Junagad in connection with the case registered there.
Additional police force from the nearby police stations and reserved police was called to control the crowd. There were reports of lathicharge to disperse the mob.
The Gujarat police arrived in the city on Sunday and Azahari was detained and brought to the Ghatkopar police station for official paperwork.Hearing about the detention of Azhari, a crowd began gathering near the police station, demanding his release. The crowd did not leave the area despite police asking them and late in the night the crowd allegedly blocked the road, affecting traffic. The police had to forcibly evict the crowd and the cops were making announcements over loudspeakers to leave the area and go home. The traffic had come to a standstill and the crowd began gathering near the police station late in the evening. Azhari’s supporters were demanding the release the preacher.
There was no information on whether Azhari was arrested or was still under detention till late Sunday night.
Junagadh police in Gujarat arrested two persons on Saturday after a video of an inflammatory speech allegedly delivered by the preacher went viral on social media, a police officer has said. The speech was delivered at an event held in an open ground in Junagadh on the night of Jan 31, he said. After the video went viral, an FIR was registered against Azhari and local organisers Mohammad Yousuf Malek and Azim Habib Odedara under Indian Penal Code sections 153B (promoting enmity between different religious groups) and 505 (2) (making statements conducive to public mischief).
The local youths, many of Azhari’s supporters, had gathered on the main road outside the police station. Azhari was inside the police station. The Gujarat police wanted to take him to Junagad in connection with the case registered there.
Additional police force from the nearby police stations and reserved police was called to control the crowd. There were reports of lathicharge to disperse the mob.