Man arrested for smearing 2 Muslim youths with Holi colours, putting video online

Agra: A 30-year-old man was arrested under BNSS section 170 -- which "empowers police to arrest individuals without a warrant" -- in UP's Hathras district on Thursday after a video surfaced purportedly showing him smearing two Muslim youths, between 15 and 19 years, with Holi colours without consent and forcing them to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram'.The accused, Devesh Chaudhary, resident of the district's Sadabad area, also filmed the act and shared it online with a caption: "If you live in India, you'll have to say Jai Shri Ram."Taking suo moto cognisance of the clip which could foment trouble especially during the holy month of Ramadan, local police initiated an investigation, issued a challan (BNSS 170; earlier CrPC 151) and arrested the man as a "preventive measure".DSP (Sadabad) Amit Pathak said, "After taking cognisance of the clip, the accused was held under BNSS section. Investigation is on and further action will be taken accordingly." SHO (Sadabad), Vijay Singh, added that the accused will be produced in court.According to police, the two Hathras youths "are yet to file a case as their family members did not want more trouble." The incident took place in Sadabad along Agra-Aligarh road, Hathras, on Wednesday.(Inputs from Sumit Sharma in Hathras)