Lucknow: A saint from Uttar Pradesh Mahant Bajrang Muni Das, who threatened Muslim women with rape, was arrested by state police on Wednesday almost eleven days after he made the shocking remarks at a religious procession.
Das was arrested by Sitapur police and he will be presented in the court soon. He is the head of Maharshi Shri Lakshman Das Udasin Ashram in Khairabad.
Das has been sent to jail for 14 days in judicial custody.
While announcing his arrest on Twitter, Sitapur police also stated that all those who will disturb the law and order will not be spared and strict action will be ensured as per the law.
The seer had allegedly made a hate speech against Muslims on April 2. A video of it later surfaced on social media platforms.
In the two-minute video of the inciting speech which was made outside a mosque, Das could be heard terming Muslims as 'jehadi' and threatening them if any Hindu girl is harassed by any man of that community, he would himself rape their women.
"I am telling this to you with all the love that if a single Hindu girl is teased by you in Khairabad, I will openly bring your daughter and daughter-in-law out of your home and rape her," news agency PTI quoted him as saying in the purported video.
Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar told news agency PTI that police arrested Das in Sitapur.
His arrest came days after UP Police booked the saint over his rape threat.
"A case has been registered against Mahant Bajrang Muni Das over his hate speech in Khairabad. After collection of evidence and inquiry, police will initiate action accordingly," Additional Superintendent of Police Sitapur, Rajiv Dikshit had said earlier.
Das has been booked under Indian Penal Code sections related to making hate speech and derogatory statements.
Even the National Commission for Women (NCW) on Friday sought Das' arrest and reprimanded police saying it cannot be a mute spectator and should take appropriate measures to curb such incidents.
Soon after his comments went viral on social media and UP Police took congisance of the matter, Das issued an apology in another video and said that his previous statements were presented in a "wrong way".
"My statement has been presented in a wrong way. I seek unconditional apology for the same," he had said.