Violence during Ram Navami procession in Mumbai: Accused hatched conspiracy sitting near mosque, say police

Mumbai Police have found that the accused in the case of stone pelting at a Ram Navami procession in suburban Malad had allegedly hatched the conspiracy of violence while sitting together near a mosque, officials said on Monday.

More than 20 persons have so far been arrested in connection with the incident which took place in Malvani area of Malad on March 30.

A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against more than 200 people, they said.

A team of Malvani police probing the case of violence recorded statements of an Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) officer and another policeman from the Malvani police station on April 2, an official said.

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Both the police personnel in their statements told the police that the violence was created by the accused persons, including those arrested and wanted, deliberately and intentionally, he said.

They sat together near a mosque, by violating the orders prohibiting unlawful assembly, and hatched the conspiracy of the crime, the official said.

Accordingly, Indian Penal Code Section 120 (B) (punishment of criminal conspiracy) was added to the case on April 2 following directions from senior police officials, he said.

Earlier, the police had registered an FIR under various Indian Penal Code sections including 353 (assault or use of criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 145 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting ) and relevant sections of the Maharashtra Police Act.

A police official earlier said the tension began on March 30 following disputes over the loud DJ music being played in the procession as it was passing through the vicinity of mosques in Malvani area.

As per the FIR, more than 6,000 people had participated in the Ram Navami procession organised by the Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and other Hindu organisations.

The procession began from Ram Janki temple late in the afternoon. Around 7.25 pm, as it was moving towards Jama Masjid, around 100 to 150 people objected to the high volume of music as namaz was going on in the mosque, a police official earlier said.

As the music volume was not lowered, there was some slogan-shouting and one of the men who had objected to loud music allegedly hurled a stone at the procession and it hit a participant, he said.

Police personnel deputed for security along the route immediately took the man who had thrown the stone into custody, he said.

As per the FIR, when the procession was near the Ali Hazrat mosque around 8.45 pm, a mob of 200 to 250 people began to pelt stones.

As police tried to bring the situation under control, some people in the mob hurled stones at them and manhandled some police personnel, the FIR said.