The Indian Penal Code (IPC) section related to criminal conspiracy has been invoked in the case of stone pelting at a Ram Navami procession in suburban Malad late last month, Mumbai police officials said on Monday.

More than 20 persons have so far been arrested in connection with the incident which took place in the Malvani area of Malad on March 30.

Ram Navami violence in Mumbai

A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against more than 200 people, they said.

The police team probing the case of violence recorded statements of an Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) officer and a cop from the Malvani police station on April 2, an official said.

Both the personnel, in their statements, told the probe team March 30 violence was orchestrated by the accused persons, including those arrested and wanted, deliberately, he said.

They sat together near a mosque, by violating the orders prohibiting unlawful assembly, and hatched the conspiracy of the crime, the official said.

Accordingly, IPC section 120 (B) (punishment of criminal conspiracy) was added to the FIR on April 2 following directions from senior police officials, he said.

Earlier, the police had invoked various IPC sections, including 353 (assault or use of criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 145 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting) and relevant sections of the Maharashtra Police Act, against the accused.
A police official earlier said the tension began on March 30 following disputes over loud DJ music being played in the procession as it passed through the vicinity of some mosques in Malvani.

As per the FIR, more than 6,000 people participated in the Ram Navami procession organized by the Bajrang Dal, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and some other Hindu organizations.

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The procession began from Ram Janki temple late in the afternoon.

Around 7.25 pm, as it was moving towards Jama Masjid, 100 to 150 people objected to the high volume of music as namaz was going on in the mosque, a police official earlier said.

As the music volume was not lowered, there was some slogan-shouting and one of the men who had objected to loud music allegedly hurled a stone at the procession and it hit a participant, he said.

Police personnel deputed for security along the route immediately took the man who had thrown the stone into custody, he said.

As per the FIR, when the procession was near the Ali Hazrat mosque around 8.45 pm, a mob of 200 to 250 people began to pelt stones.

As police tried to bring the situation under control, some people in the mob hurled stones at them and manhandled some police personnel, the FIR said.