Police registered a case against a sarpanch who led 40 persons to offer namaz on Shab-e baraat at a mosque in Khairikhurd village of Chhindwara district, police said on Friday. They were, however, granted bail under discretionary powers of the police.

All the 40 were found offering namaz (prayers) at a mosque at the village in Chourai tehsil, 38 km from the district headquarters, late on Thursday night, inspector Mukesh Dwivedi said. A police patrol party got an alert about the gathering at the mosque in violation of Section 144 (banning assembly of five or more persons) of CrPC imposed in the area, he said.

The men were charged under Sections 188 (disobedience to order promulgated by a public servant) and 269 (unlawful or negligent act likely to spread infection of a dangerous disease) of IPC, Dwivedi said.

They were also booked under the Disaster Management Act, Madhya Pradesh Epidemic Diseases Act, Madhya Pradesh Public Health Act 1949 and Epidemic Act 1897, the official said.