UP: Fatehpur administration impose restrictions, bans gatherings, protests

Kanpur (UP), Aug 14 (PTI) The Fatehpur district administration has imposed strict prohibitory orders banning all gatherings, processions, and protests in connection with a disputed mausoleum, officials said on Thursday.

The move comes as authorities act on intelligence inputs of a planned mobilization on August 16, which coincides with Janmashtami celebrations, they said.

The heightened security and preemptive measures follow a recent incident where right-wing groups stormed the premises on Monday, damaging graves and claiming the site to be a Hindu temple.

The entire area is now under constant surveillance, with entry restricted to all but security personnel.

The vandalized portions of the mausoleum have already been repaired.

In the wake of Monday's violence, Superintendent of Police (SP) Anoop Kumar Singh confirmed that 160 people, including 10 named individuals, were booked for damaging public property and disturbing the peace.

Additional police forces from neighbouring Kaushambi and Prayagraj districts have been deployed to the area, and a flag march was conducted on Monday to reassure residents.

The district magistrate (Fatehpur) Ravindra Singh and Superintendent of Police Anoop Kumar Singh have issued a joint press note on Thursday warning that any attempt to hold demonstrations, spread inflammatory speeches, or post provocative content on social media will invite the strictest legal action.

The administration has sealed the area within a one-kilometer radius with multiple police barricades.

Heavy police deployment, including Quick Response Teams (QRTs), along with drone and CCTV surveillance, is being used to maintain an airtight security cordon until after Janmashtami, officials said.

Officials have appealed to residents to maintain communal harmony and pursue their grievances through legal channels rather than street action.

Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak had previously stated that the government has taken the incident seriously and the guilty will not be spared. PTI COR CDN NB NB