Meerut Police attacked while trying to seal locality, Magistrate injured in stone-pelting; 4 including Imam arrested

New Delhi: A team of police team were attacked in Meerut’s Jali Kothi area on Saturday after the district administration officials reached there to seal a part of the area following a confirmation about presence of coronavirus patients there.

A city magistrate was injured in the stone-pelting incident.

The Meerut police have made four arrests in this regard, including the Imam of mosque where the coronavirus patients were reportedly sheltered.

4 booked under NSA, Imam arrested

“A team which had gone to take a COVID-19 patient to hospital in Meerut’s Jali Kothi area was attacked by some people. Four persons, including an imam, have been arrested in this regard. Action will be initiated against the accused persons under the National Security Act (NSA),” Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi said in a statement.

The NSA allows preventive detention up to 12 months without a charge if the authorities are satisfied that the person is a threat to the national security or law and order.

Circle Officer Dinesh Shukla said the accused pelted stones at the team, injuring a police official and the city magistrate.

“On 24 February, three people attended a programme of a local Jamaat and came from Maharashtra (Malegaon) to Meerut. They were staying at Dariwaali Masjid. On Friday, their samples came back positive for coronavirus,” Circle Officer told a news agency.

“On Saturday morning, when in-charge of Delhi Gate police station Ravindra Singh along with police force and City Magistrate Satendra Kumar Singh went to seal a lane in the Jali Kothi area, some people started resisting them, and raised slogans against the police. They also pelted stones at the police,” the circle officer said.