Prohibitory orders imposed in Bareilly amid festival season

The Bareilly district administration has imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the BNSS with immediate effect in view of upcoming festivals, board examinations and intelligence inputs warning of possible attempts to disturb law and order, officials said on Tuesday.

District Magistrate (DM) Avinash Singh said the decision was taken keeping in mind the violence that erupted in Bareilly on September 26 last year and tensions following a recent controversy over new University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines.

He said intelligence agencies have cautioned that “some anti-social elements may try to disrupt communal harmony” in the sensitive district. Bareilly is set to witness major religious occasions such as Mahashivratri, Holi and Shab-e-Barat in the coming days, besides the conduct of board examinations, the DM said, adding that maintaining peace and public order is the administration’s top priority. Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), earlier Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), prohibits the assembly of five or more persons at any public place.

Any organisation or group wishing to hold a protest, demonstration or procession will have to obtain prior written permission from the competent authority.

Government officials on duty have been exempted from the restrictions.