9 SDPI members arrested for flouting prohibitory orders in UP's Bahraich, released later

Nine members of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) were arrested and later released on bail on Sunday for violating prohibitory orders by holding a "secret meeting" at a hotel here, police said.

"Around 40 people hailing from the SDPI were holding a secret meeting at a hotel near the city bus stand. Section 144 of the CrPC is already enforced in the district, and without taking permission of the district administration, organising such a meeting is illegal," Additional Superintendent of Police (city) Kunwar Gyanjay Singh said.

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He added that a case was registered against nine people under section 188 of the IPC for violating the prohibitory orders imposed under section 144 of the CrPC.

Section 144 of the Code Of Criminal Procedure prohibits the assembly of four or more people. The restrictions have been in place in the district for nearly a month now.

"People who were present at the hotel were warned and asked to leave the place. Later, the arrested members of the SDPI were released on bail. The names and addresses of all the persons who attended the meeting have been noted, and their verification will be done by the intelligence department," Singh said.

The SDPI is the political arm of the now-banned Popular Front of India (PFI).