Police have registered an FIR against an unidentified person after a mazaar in the Chinour area of Uttar Pradesh's Shahjahanpur district was allegedly vandalised and a sacred cloth, or 'chadar', burnt, officials said on Monday.
Incident Triggers Tension
The incident, which came to light under the Sadar Bazar police station limits, triggered tension in the locality, prompting authorities to intensify efforts to trace those responsible.
Superintendent of Police Saurabh Dixit told news agency PTI that burnt pieces of cloth were found at the spot during inspection. "It appears that someone removed the chadar offered at the mazaar and set it on fire. Besides, the iron mesh surrounding the shrine was found damaged," he said.
Investigation Underway
He said a complaint was lodged on Sunday, following which police registered a case against an unknown person and launched an investigation. "Police teams have been directed to identify and arrest the accused at the earliest," he added.
Mohammed Ahmed, also known as Chand Miyan, the caretaker of the shrine, said the site is frequented by people from different communities. "More Hindus than Muslims visit this mazaar. The police visited the spot after the incident. We demand the immediate arrest of the person who broke the iron mesh surrounding the shrine, burnt the chadar and pelted stones at the structure," he said.
Legal Action
Police have registered the case under Section 298 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which pertains to damaging or defiling a place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class.
Officials said CCTV footage from nearby areas is being scanned to identify the accused and establish the sequence of events.
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