The police have decided to register cases against thousands of Muslims and Hindus on charges of violating prohibitory orders promulgated under Section 144 of the CrPC and participating in religious events during the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown.

Muslims held special prayers and offered qurbani (slaughtering of cattle) across the State on July 31/August 1 in view of Bakrid. Similarly, many Hindus organised celebrations by bursting crackers and distributing sweets on August 5 when the bhoomi pujan was performed for the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

According to police sources, Director-General of Police J.K. Tripathy directed Commissioners/Superintendents of Police to register cases as per law against those who held special prayers in 151 mosques.

The police took cognisance of qurbani offered at 22 places in the State. Acting on intelligence input that very few cases were registered in these violations, Mr. Tripathy ordered that appropriate action be initiated against all those involved in the offences, police sources told The Hindu on Wednesday. The sources said that reports received from cities/districts had revealed that about 16,000-odd Muslims participated in special prayers in mosques or public places.

The State police took a serious view of the celebrations by Hindus to celebrate the Ram temple bhoomi pujan. Cases for violating the prohibitory orders and safety protocol for preventing the spread of COVID-19 would be registered against dozens of people, the sources said.

Besides involving provisions under the Public Health Act, Epidemic Diseases Act and Disaster Management Act, the police are booking the accused persons under Section 143 (Unlawful assembly), 269 (Unlawfully or negligently doing any act which is likely to spread the infection of any disease dangerous to life), the sources added.