Women attempt to perform puja at mausoleum site, clash with cops
KANPUR, Nov. 7 -- Tension prevailed at a disputed mausoleum site in Fatehpur district late on Wednesday night when a group of women attempted to perform Kartik Purnima rituals despite heavy police deployment, officials said on Thursday. The mausoleum has been at the centre of a long-standing dispute and remains under litigation following claims by local Hindu groups that it was built after demolishing an ancient temple.
According to police, around 20 women led by Padmaja Singh Chauhan -- wife of local leader Pappu Singh Chauhan, who is already an accused in an earlier case related to the same site -- tried to enter the restricted area carrying puja material.
Security personnel stopped them, citing court orders. However, the women allegedly engaged in heated arguments, used abusive language, and pushed police personnel on duty.
A video of the altercation has gone viral on social media, though officials said its authenticity has not yet been verified. "Despite repeated requests, the women tried to force their way inside and even threatened the police with false cases," said a senior officer.
After a brief confrontation, the women performed rituals and aarti outside the barricaded area before being persuaded to leave, officials said.
Kotwali SHO Tarkeshwar Rai said an FIR was registered on Thursday against 21 women, including Padmaja Singh Chauhan, under sections 352, 121(1) and 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Police later conducted raids at the houses of some of the accused named in the FIR.
The disputed site has remained heavily guarded since a violent clash erupted there on August 11, when a large crowd broke through barricades and vandalised the premises following calls from local Hindu groups. The incident had led to an FIR against more than 170 individuals, including several BJP- and RSS-linked leaders such as Abhishek Shukla, Ashish Tripathi, and Pappu Singh Chauhan.
A PAC camp and a temporary police post continue to operate at the site, which is surrounded by 15-foot-high barricades. The matter is being heard in the court of the civil judge (senior division), with the next hearing scheduled for November 12....
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