Clash over stone-pelting on Shiva devotees in Amroha, 5 injured

Bijnor: Tension gripped Amroha's Kotwali area on Saturday night after a group of men allegedly pelted stones on pilgrims singing bhajans and dancing to DJ music near the Chhebra Bypass Shiva temple.Five people, including a police constable, were injured.After returning from Haridwar with Ganga water for Sunday's Maha Shivratri, the devotees were inside the temple premises.About 50 metres away, some youths from another community were celebrating a birthday party. It was alleged that one of the men reached the devotees' camp and started making videos.When the devotees confronted him, he called his friends celebrating the birthday party and they allegedly started hurling stones at the devotees. Someone called Dial 112, and a team of police arrived to control the clash.Police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the mob and maintain law and order. Constable Shoaib Raza Khan suffered a head injury, while devotees Vidya Devi, Chandrashekhar, Shikhar and another man were injured in the clash. The injured were admitted to a nearby hospital.Following the clash, angry people gathered at the police station demanding arrests of the culprits. Police seized a scooter from the spot.Superintendent of police (SP) Amit Kumar Anand said, "A heavy police force has been deployed in the area to maintain law and order. The situation is under control and all religious rituals were performed peacefully on Sunday.""A case has been filed against the accused under relevant BNS sections, and three accused have been arrested. One of them, who called himself a reporter, sustained injuries and is undergoing treatment. The other accused people will be arrested soon," said SP Anand.