Cops intervened after a mob in Agra set a Muslim man's houses on fire over an interfaith relationship
An angry mob in Uttar Pradesh's Agra on Friday set ablaze two houses belonging to the family of a man who went untraceable along with a 22-year-old woman in an interfaith relationship.
Police said members of a fringe group "Dharam Jagran Samanvay Sangh" torched the house belonging to Sajid, a gym owner in Agra's Runakta locality. An adjoining house, belonging to the family, was also set on fire.
The mob was demanding the arrest of the man they accused of kidnapping the woman. Shops in the local market also made to shut on Friday over the mob's demand.
There were no reports of any injuries in the attack on the gym owner's home.
The police post in-charge was suspended after the incident for negligence and a probe has been ordered against the Sikandra station house officer. "If found guilty, action will be taken against him as well," Agra's Senior Superintendent of Police Sudheer Kumar Singh told reporters.
The woman went missing on Monday. She was traced two days later by the police, but Sajid's whereabouts are still not known. Her family members had filed a missing person's report, prompting a police search for the couple.
In a video that surfaced on social media, the woman said she is an adult and had gone willingly with the man.
"Both are adults," Senior Superintendent of Police Sudheer Singh confirmed to reporters. He said the police will bring the woman to court. This couldn't be done so far because of the festival holidays this week.
He said that an FIR or police case has been registered against members of the group that set the houses on fire and they will be arrested soon.
The woman's family has also filed a police complaint against the gym owner.