Cleric among 8 arrested for stone-pelting on health workers, NSA invoked

Police said as soon as the team reached the area, they faced resistance from residents who opposed barricading of the area.

Eight persons, including a cleric of a mosque, were arrested and booked under stringent National Security Act (NSA) here on Saturday in connection with the attack on a team of health workers and administrative officials in the town’s Jaali Kothi area late Friday night.

According to police, a team of health workers and officials had gone to Jaali Kothi to seal off the area after three of the four Tablighi Jamaat members, who had attended Delhi Markaz last month and were traced to a mosque in the area, tested positive for coronavirus. Police said as soon as the team reached the area, they faced resistance from residents who opposed barricading of the area. Stones were thrown from rooftops in which Meerut City Magistrate Satendra and Sub-inspector Mukesh were injured, said police.

“All eight, including a cleric, have been arrested and booked under the National Security Act. We took out a flag march in the area after the incident on Saturday morning and have appealed the residents to not come out of their homes. We have warned them of direct action if such acts are reported in future,” SSP (Meerut) Ajay Sahni told The Sunday Express.