Five arrested for vandalising car, assaulting driver during Kanwar Yatra in UP

Muzaffarnagar, Sep 3 (PTI) Police have arrested five individuals for allegedly vandalising a car and assaulting its driver during the Kanwar Yatra after "wrongfully restraining" him on the Haridwar-Delhi National Highway here in July, officials said Tuesday.

The car had allegedly brushed against a Kanwar (pilgrim) but police found during its investigation that this claim was false, they said.

The alleged incident took place near Bahedi Cut, close to a restaurant on the NH, under the Chapar police station area on July 21, an official said.

"The Yatra participants allegedly vandalised the car and assaulted the driver Aqib, claiming that his vehicle had brushed against a Kanwar. The police had rescued Aqib, and it was later confirmed that the allegations were incorrect," Circle Officer Raju Kumar Sab said.

"The incident took place while Aqib was travelling from Dehradun to Meerut. The attackers had stopped Aqib and badly damaged his car on the highway," he said.

Sab said a case was registered against 10 to 15 people under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 115 (voluntarily causing hurt), 126 (wrongfully restraining a person from proceeding in a direction), 270 (public nuisance), 285 (obstruction in public way or line of navigation), 190 (member of unlawful assembly), 324 (mischief), 109 (attempt to murder).

The accused -- ”Tushar, Karan, Anshu, Tarun and Varun -- were identified based on CCTV footage and subsequently arrested, he said, adding further legal proceedings in the case are being carried out. PTI COR KIS MNK MNK