Security was tightened and mobile internet services were suspended till evening in Firozabad on Friday following an incident the previous evening wherein members of BJP’s youth wing allegedly assaulted police and two Muslim men. Firozabad police are on the lookout for three Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) members — Lucky Garg, Dheeraj Parashar, Uday Thakur — and around 20 of their supporters in connection with the incident that happened at a bus stop near Gandhi Park.

“We rushed to find a group of drunk youths thrashing two men. We rescued the victims and sent them to South police station (which had jurisdiction in the area). A constable and I stayed back and they started misbehaving with us. They were abusing and asking to call the two men back,” North Police station house officer (SHO) Lokesh Bhati said.

He requested additional police force to handle the situation but the accused escaped taking advantage of the crowd, he said. South Police SHO Vinod Kumar said the two men were identified as Imran and his friend Sehjil. “Imran said they went to buy medicines when they were caught by the men. He said they abused them and made derogatory remarks on their religion. When they objected, they started beating them,” the SHO said. SHO Bhati named Garg, Parashar and Thakur, and 15-20 unidentified others in his complaint and they were booked under section 147 (rioting)and other relevant sections of the IPC.

On Imran’s complaint 20 unidentified persons were also booked. ASP Firozabad, Rajesh Kumar said, “Efforts are being made to arrest the accused.” District Magistrate Neha Sharma said they have taken all measures to ensure peace. The internet services were suspended to prevent rumor-mongering, she said. BJP’s Firozabad district president B L Verma confirmed that Garg, Parashar and Thakur were BJYM members but alleged that they were falsely implicated.

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