Three persons detained for carrying Osama posters

VADODARA: Three persons were detained under Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Act for carrying posters of Al Qaeda terrorist Osama Bin Laden near Jama Masjid located near Mandiv area of the city on Friday last, police said.

The three identified as Sajid Chhotubhai Pathan, Mohamed Sadique alias Sajid Bakery Rashid Pathan and Irfankamrukh Shaikh have been sent to jail at Porbandar and Jamnagar, Police Commissioner Pritam Singh Thakur said.

Police have already arrested 18 persons in connection with the Osama poster case.

After offering namaz at Jama Masjid last Friday, a group of Muslims wanted to protest the provocative posters of Prophet Mohammed in the campus of M S University. However, police refused them permission to take out a rally.

Despite the ban, a group took out a rally holding posters of Osama bin Laden in their hands following which minor incidents of violence took place in several localities last Friday.

Meanwhile, suspended BJP leader Nalin Bhatt has condemned the youth taking out rally carrying posters of Laden and threatened to hold a protest rally from the walled city area on June 1.

Traders from walled city area submitted a memorandum to police commissioner requesting him not to grant permission to Bhatt for taking out this rally as they have suffered heavy business losses in the past one week following recurrence of communal skirmishes.

Thakur said Bhatt will not be given permission for the rally. The situation in the city is normal, the Commissioner added.