‘Padmaavat’ protests: 38 held, 8 FIRs so far in Haryana’s Gurugram

Gurugram, Jan 27: As many as 38 hooligans have been apprehended and eight cases registered in Haryana’s Gurugram district so far in connection with the protests over the release of ‘Padmaavat’ movie, police said on Saturday.

The situation in Gurugram is “peaceful and under control”, and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) had been formed to probe violence in areas falling under the jurisdictions of Bhondsi and Sohna Sadar police stations this week, said Ravinder Kumar, the Public Relations Officer for the district police.

“We have arrested 24 miscreants involved in violence at different places. Besides, 14 hooligans were detained under Section 107/151 of the Criminal Procedure Code as a preventive measure,” the officer said. They have since been sent in judicial custody.

The SIT will comprise an Assistant Commissioner of Police, and an unspecified number of Inspectors and other police officials and work under the direct supervision of the Deputy Commissioner of Police (South Zone).

On Wednesday, protesters suspected to be members of the Shri Rajput Karni Sena pelted with stones a school bus of a private school carrying minor children, teachers and staff in Bhondsi area on the Gurugram-Alwar National Highway. A Haryana Roadways was also set ablaze by the protestors.

The same day, another Haryana Roadways bus was vandalised in area under the Sohna Sadar police station.

“Efforts are on to identify other miscreants involved in violence in Gurugram,” the official said.

“The SIT will make efforts to collect scientific and other evidence and to identify hooligans still evading arrest. The situation in Gurugram is peaceful. Police has been deployed in large numbers at malls and sensitive locations to maintain law and order,” he added.

IANS