Two fresh FIRs against right-wing religious leader Mahant Ramgiri Maharaj over communal speech

Mumbai: A day after the Thane city police filed an FIR against Mahant Ramgiri Maharaj, a right-wing religious leader, for allegedly making derogatory remarks against Islam and Prophet Muhammad, two fresh FIRs were registered by the Mahim and Pydhonie police on Sunday for hurting religious feelings and promoting enmity.
Ramgiri Maharaj during a recently held religious event at Shah Panchale village in Sinnar taluka of Nashik district made the alleged derogatory remarks against Islam and Prophet Mohammed and a video clipping went viral on social media.
Earlier on Friday, communal tensions were reported in several districts of Maharashtra, including Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalgaon and Ahmednagar. The unrest was ignited by a bandh organised by the Sakal Hindu Samaj to protest alleged atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh.
This was compounded by counter-protests by Muslim outfits in response to the alleged derogatory remarks against Islam made by Ramgiri Maharaj. Six police personnel were reportedly injured in the unrest.
Multiple cases were filed by the police in connection with the communal violence.
According to the Mahim police, on the basis of a complaint from one Shadab Amir Hasan Ansari, 37, a case was registered against Mahant Ramgiri Maharaj, for allegedly making derogatory remarks against Islam and Prophet Mohammed.
Based in his complaint, the Mahim police booked the seer under sections 353(1)(B)(C), 353(2)(3), 299, 302, 196(1)(9), 356, 352, 351 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for uttering words with intent to hurt religious feelings and others for outraging religious feelings, promoting enmity between groups over religion, intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace and criminal intimidation.
“We are investigating the case,” said Tajaswi Satpute, deputy commissioner of police (Zone 5). The Pydhonie police too registered a case invoking similar sections of the BNS and have transferred it to the concerned police station at Sinnar in Nashik.
The Kondhwa police station on Saturday filed an FIR against Mahant Ramgiri Maharaj, the fourth against the leader, on a complaint filed by Azad Samaj Party (ASP) legal cell chief for Maharashtra advocate Tausif Shaikh.