Over two dozen booked in Kanpur over ‘I Love Muhammad’ boards on road

Kanpur: Police have booked over two dozen people for putting up boards and setting up a tent on a public road during Barawafat celebrations, officials told PTI on Monday.

The FIR, lodged on September 9 at Rawatpur police station, names nine persons and lists 15 others as unidentified. They are accused of installing boards inscribed with “I Love Mohammad” in Syed Nagar and erecting a tent on the road, police said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Dinesh Tripathi said the move drew objections from Hindu organisations, who called it a “new trend” and a “deliberate provocation.”

The boards and tent were placed near a gate through which the Ram Navami procession usually passes. Police said they tried to persuade the organisers to remove them, but when efforts failed, the structures were dismantled to maintain peace. Muslim clerics were also called in to mediate.

Based on Sub-Inspector Pankaj Sharma’s complaint, the police filed an FIR under charges of disturbing communal harmony and unlawful assembly. Those named include Sharafat Hussain, Babu Ali, Mohammad Siraj, Rahman, Ikram Ahmed, Iqbal, Bunty, Kunnu ‘Kabadi’ and Sahnoor Alam, along with two vehicle drivers and 15 unidentified people.

CCTV footage confirmed their involvement, officials said. Rawatpur SHO KK Mishra was quoted saying that the accused acted “deliberately” to disrupt peace and that searches are underway to trace those absconding.