Shravasti (UP), March 24 Police have arrested six more people in connection with allegedly preparing and disposing of non-vegetarian food during an iftar party near the Sonpathri Ashram Temple here, bringing the total number of arrests to 10, officials said on Tuesday.
Four people were arrested in the case on Friday.
According to police, on March 17, in the Sirsia area, members of the Muslim community prepared non-vegetarian food for an iftar party near the temple, located in the forest.
After the party, the leftover non-vegetarian food was discarded into the water source (a canal) flowing near the temple, they said.
"The devotees visiting the temple use the water from this source for drinking, cooking, and cleaning the temple premises and the idols of the deities. By doing this, the individuals from the Muslim community have offended the religious sentiments of the devotees visiting the Ashram," the police said in a statement.
Based on a written complaint filed by the Ashram's priest, Hari Sharnanand Ji Maharaj, a case was registered at the Sirsia police station on March 19 under Sections 196(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony), it said.
The statement further said that on March 19, an official from the forest department submitted a written report to the police stating that the accused had illegally started a fire within the forest, creating a risk of forest fire and causing harm to the wildlife inhabiting the area.
Subsequently, another case was registered against all of them under the Indian Forest Act, 1927.
The six people arrested on Tuesday have been identified as Jamal Ahmed, Irfan Ahmed, and Sufiyan – from Shravasti district, and Shakir, Sheru Ahmed, and Shamsad Ali – residents of Bahraich district.