Bengaluru: 19 Muslims, 14 of them underage, held for brandishing weapons during Milad procession

Bengaluru police have arrested 19 Muslims, including 14 minors, for brandishing machetes, daggers and similar weapons during an Id Milad procession on Sunday, October 9.

The open display of weapons took place at 7th Cross, Someshwar Nagar, South Bengaluru, an officer from the Siddapura police station, in whose jurisdiction the incident happened, told DH on Tuesday.

Police acted independently to register an FIR under IPC sections related to unlawful assembly, criminal intimidation and promoting disharmony between different groups. They also invoked Section 25(1)(A) of the Arms Act, which deals with the acquisition or possession of prohibited weapons.

The FIR, registered on Monday on the basis of a complaint from police sub-inspector Naveen Kumar, states that the incident happened between 5.45 pm and 6.45 pm on Sunday.

In the complaint, Kumar claimed that he and fellow policemen had witnessed the weapon display while being posted in Someshwar Nagar on Sunday evening. But the action was taken after videos of the weapons display were widely shared on social media, , the FIR states.

According to the FIR, the weapon display was punctuated with the blaring of speeches by AIMIM’s firebrand leader, Akbaruddin Owaisi.

As of Tuesday evening, police were preparing to produce the arrested suspects before the jurisdictional magistrate.

During Id Milad, which is a celebration of Prophet Muhammad’s birthday, many Muslims march in processions, displaying tableaux and playing songs in praise of the Prophet. Exhibitions of weapons are rare.

Incident in Udupi

Just a week earlier, swords were displayed during a Durga Doud (run) organised by the Hindu Jagarana Vedike in the coastal town of Udupi. According to media reports, the BJP's Udupi MLA, K Raghupathi Bhat, was among those who attended the rally. It's not clear if the police took action in that case.

Open displays of swords and similar weapons require police permission, which is granted only in exceptional cases.