Local authorities in Ujjain on Wednesday demolished alleged 'illegal' portions of homes belonging to three youth accused of 'spitting' water on a religious procession, PTI reported. Media reports state that the three men are Muslims.
A video shared by Hindutva Watch shows drummers accompanying the local administration and police during the course of the demolition in the Madhya Pradesh town.
Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Akash Bhuria told Indian Express that the police had informed the Ujjain Municipal Corporation and the Revenue Department about the accused. Following this, the local administration had found "illegal constructions in their houses" and that they "were removed after making announcements to allow the residents to remove their goods", the cop told PTI.
The properties are located at Daba Road, Tanki Chowk and near Gold Bakery, the ASP said.
The cop told IE that traditionally, drummers were always present with the police to publicly announce demolition actions.
As per a complaint filed with the police, some people, who were part of the 'Baba Mahakal Sawari' procession in Ujjain on July 17, reportedly saw a few youngsters standing on the balcony of a building and "spitting water on them."
Those part of the procession shot a video and lodged a complaint, police said. A case under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for disturbing communal harmony has been registered against the trio.
Meanwhile, The Quint spoke to an Ujjain-based police officer on Tuesday who said the 'spitting' was not intentional, as found by their investigation. "The boys were hanging out on the terrace, and one of them happened to have a habit of spitting every now and then, like many other people," he said.
The cop told The Quint that there was a green-coloured cloth laid as well as a window visor in the house where the trio were standing which would have prevented the spit from reaching the road below.
Two of the accused are minors and brothers. They were sent to a juvenile home after they were produced in a court on Tuesday while the third accused has been remanded to judicial custody.
The video of the incident had earlier led to protests by Hindu outfits at Kharakua police station, PTI reported.
In January this year, Human Rights Watch expressed concern over increasing home demolitions, stating that although authorities "tried to justify the demolitions by claiming the structures were illegal", the demolitions seemed to be "intended to be collective punishment for Muslims."
(With PTI inputs)