4 FIRs against thousands for attending seer's last rites defying lockdown

Four FIRs on Thursday were lodged against thousands of unidentified followers of Baba Shobhan Sarkar, who died on Wednesday, by gathering at his ashram in large numbers in violation of the lockdown orders, officials said.

Shobhan Sarkar had passed away at his ashram in the Shivli area of Kanpur Dehat district Wednesday morning.

Defying the lockdown, people gathered in large numbers for paying tributes and attending the last rites (immersion of ashes in the holy river Ganga) of Baba Shobhan Sarkar at Arogya Dham hospital at Sunauhra Ashram in Chaubeypur area, Station House Officer Vinay Tiwari said.

"We tried to stop the crowd from proceeding towards the ashram in Chaubepur, but our efforts proved futile," Tiwari added.

Several video clips of the lockdown violation by the seer's followers went viral on social media.

The SHO told PTI that three FIRs have been registered against over 4,000 people for flouting the lockdown norms by attending the last rites of 'Sarkar' despite gatherings being banned during funerals.

"No matter how powerful the persons, part of the gathering, are, strict action will be taken against them," he added.

The defaulters would face strict action as police is investigating who was responsible for the event amid a complete ban on religious gatherings, said Deputy IG (Kanpur) Anant Deo Tiwari.

Shivli Police on Wednesday too registered an FIR against thousands of unidentified persons for violating COVID-19 protocols and government directives regarding the social gathering, said Superintendent of Police (Kanpur Dehat) Anurag Vats.

Photos and video clips of the violation that went viral are being examined to identify the violators, he added.

Kanpur has reported 311 cases of coronavirus so far, out of which 111 are active cases.

Baba Shobhan Sarkar alias Suryabhan Tiwari had claimed that he in a dream saw over 1,000 tonnes of gold lying buried under the ruins of the old fort of 19th-century kingRam Baksh Singhin Daundiya Khera village of Unnao.

The excavation had begun on October 18, 2013, and just 11 days after the ASI had stopped it saying there was no gold.