The Gujarat police on Wednesday arrested a former BJP leader, his son, policemen, caterer, wedding band performer, among others, over organising an engagement ceremony of the leader's grand-daughter in Tapi district in south Gujarat.
The viral video showing hundreds of people dancing at the ceremony was pulled up by the Gujarat High Court.
A corporator Vinod Chandatre, BJP worker Kevin Desai, caterer for the event Mahendra Chaudhary, wedding band performer Alpesh Gamit, decorator Ramesh Gamit, videographer Mitesh Gamit were also arrested.
According to a release issued by the district police, the procedure was on to arrest police inspector CK Chaudhary and a head constable Nilesh Manilal.
The accused have been booked under various charges including attempt to commit culpable homicide under Section 308 of Indian Penal Code, unlawful assembly and under sections of the Epidemic Act and Disaster Management Act. Section 308 is a non-bailable offence.
This is a rare case in which a person has been booked under a non-bailable offence for organising an event.
"We have suspended the police inspector and a constable who had attended the event as guests. We found their presence after screening the video footage. A beat constable has also been suspended as he didn't inform his senior about the event," Tapi district superintendent of police Sujata Majmudar told DH. She added, "The event organisers had not taken any permission for the event."
These developments came after a division bench of the high court with Justice Vikram Nath and Justice J B Pardiwala took cognisance of the video clip which has gone viral since Tuesday and said that it was "shocking" to see such an event in the middle of a pandemic.
Published 02 December 2020, 16:42 IST