Section 144 imposed in Uttarakhand’s Dada Jalalpur to prevent religious meet, 33 detained

The village was witness to communal tension when a Hanuman Jayanti procession was pelted with stones on April 16

Prohibitory orders under CrPC section 144 have been enforced in Dada Jalalpur village near Uttarakhand's Roorkee where a 'Hindu Mahapanchayat' was scheduled to be held on Wednesday and 33 people associated with the event have been detained, officials said.

The village was witness to communal tension when a Hanuman Jayanti procession was pelted with stones on April 16.

The move to impose section 144 came with the Supreme Court directing the Uttarakhand chief secretary on Tuesday to place on record that no untoward statement will be made at the 'Dharam Sansad' in Roorkee and warning that it will hold top officials responsible in case of any hate speech being made.

Haridwar District Magistrate Vinay Shankar Pandey said prohibitory orders were enforced in Dada Jalalpur village and in areas within its five-km radius on Tuesday evening to ensure that the 'Hindu Mahapanchayat' does not take place.

"Thirty-three people associated with organising the event have been detained to prevent the 'mahapanchayat' from taking place. Those detained include Kali Sena's state convenor Dineshanand Bharti who had given a call for holding the event and his six supporters," SSP Yogendra Singh Rawat said.

"The gathering will not be allowed to be held at any cost. Anyone who tries to violate section 144, in force in the area, will be sternly dealt with," he said.

A heavy police force has been deployed in the area to keep an eye on the situation, the official said.