Cleric held for 'instigating' mob in Hubballi

A cleric was arrested on Thursday in connection with the violence reported in the city recently over an alleged social media post hurting the sentiments of a community.

Waseem Pathan was picked up from Mumbai, where he was hiding, on Wednesday night and brought here this morning, police sources said.

Video footage purportedly showed Pathan standing on a police official’s jeep and addressing a crowd of people gathered outside the old Hubballi police station to protest against the alleged post, showing a saffron flag planted on a mosque, that surfaced on social media on Saturday night.

After the speech, the mob went on a rampage damaging many police vehicles, and hurled stones at a nearby hospital and temple.

After the police named him in the FIR, the cleric went into hiding and released a video on social media claiming that he was innocent.