Eight booked under NSA for Bahraich communal violence during Durga immersion

Bahraich: The Bahraich district administration has invoked the National Security Act (NSA) against eight men accused in last year’s communal riots that broke out during a Durga idol immersion procession.

District Magistrate Akshay Tripathi issued the order on September 30, which was formally notified by the police in a statement on Thursday. Superintendent of Police Ram Nayan Singh said the decision was based on police reports and his recommendation “with the objective of maintaining law and order, public peace, and public safety in the district.”

The violence on October 13, 2024, was triggered by a dispute over playing music on a DJ system during a procession in the Maharajganj area of Mahsi sub-division. The clashes left 22-year-old Ramgopal Mishra dead and several others injured. Mobs torched houses, shops, a hospital, motorcycles and cars, causing extensive damage.

Those booked under the NSA are Maroof Ali, Nankau, Mohammad Fahim, Mohammad Afzal, Mohammad Zeeshan, Javed, Shoeb Khan and Saif Ali. Police confirmed that all eight have been in jail since their arrest last year.

The communal clashes had erupted just ahead of this year’s scheduled processions on Friday, raising fresh security concerns for authorities.