📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Tari Buttar
Crime
Punjab Police File Three Cases Over Religious Provocation During Mansa Bandh
✍️ Amar Ujala · Punjab
🗓 16 Oct 2026, 01:16 PM
👁 14
Following the Jhota murder case in Mansa, Punjab, authorities imposed a bandh on Wednesday. Police have now filed three fresh cases alleging that individuals incited religious sentiments during the shutdown.
The Jhota murder case in Mansa district prompted local officials to announce a statewide bandh on Wednesday, aiming to maintain law and order. During the shutdown, police said certain individuals used the gathering to stir religious sentiments, prompting public unrest.
In response, the Mansa police station lodged three new FIRs on charges of incitement and communal provocation. The complaints allege that the accused spread inflammatory messages that could aggravate communal harmony during the bandh.
Authorities have not disclosed the identities of the accused, but they indicated that investigations are underway and that any proven wrongdoing will be prosecuted under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Punjab Prevention of Communal Violence Act.
The bandh, which was observed across parts of Punjab, has drawn criticism from some community leaders who called for peaceful protest rather than actions that could inflame religious tensions. Police have urged citizens to cooperate with the investigation and maintain calm.
The three cases add to the legal proceedings already linked to the Jhota murder, underscoring the heightened sensitivity surrounding law‑enforcement actions in the region.
In response, the Mansa police station lodged three new FIRs on charges of incitement and communal provocation. The complaints allege that the accused spread inflammatory messages that could aggravate communal harmony during the bandh.
Authorities have not disclosed the identities of the accused, but they indicated that investigations are underway and that any proven wrongdoing will be prosecuted under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Punjab Prevention of Communal Violence Act.
The bandh, which was observed across parts of Punjab, has drawn criticism from some community leaders who called for peaceful protest rather than actions that could inflame religious tensions. Police have urged citizens to cooperate with the investigation and maintain calm.
The three cases add to the legal proceedings already linked to the Jhota murder, underscoring the heightened sensitivity surrounding law‑enforcement actions in the region.