The situation remained tense but under control in Jagjeevan Ram Nagar on Monday following a stone-pelting incident targeting a procession of Om Shakti devotees, police said.
Two women were injured when miscreants allegedly hurled stones at the religious procession on Sunday night. The incident triggered protests by local residents, who gathered outside the JJ Nagar police station demanding swift and strict action against those responsible.
In view of the tension and the possibility of retaliatory incidents, police deployed additional forces in the area. Senior police officers camped in the locality and initiated an investigation to identify and trace the accused.
A First Information Report was registered late Sunday night based on a complaint filed by Shashikumar N, a resident of VS Garden. According to the complaint, the incident took place between 8.15 pm and 9.00 pm while devotees were taking out a religious procession through the area.
Shashikumar stated that he has been participating in Om Shakti and Ayyappa Swamy worship for the past 23 years, observing the rituals by wearing the Om Shakti garland and carrying the Irumudi. He alleged that three to four youths pelted stones at the procession, during which a woman devotee suffered a serious head injury and bleeding wounds. She was later admitted to a local hospital for treatment.
The complaint also alleged that similar incidents had occurred in the past, claiming that on two or three earlier occasions miscreants had set fires during religious observances in the locality. It further stated that the area has a significant Dalit population and that incidents of atrocities against Dalits have previously been reported.
Calling the attack an assault on religious sentiments and an act of intimidation, Om Shakti and Ayyappa Swamy devotees jointly demanded stringent legal action against those involved. Police said investigations are ongoing and security arrangements will remain in place to maintain peace.
