Dozens of Shia Muslims were taken into preventive custody when they tried to take out a Muharram procession in Srinagar on Sunday.

A large number of Shia Muslims appeared at Batamaloo and Jahangir Chowk in Srinagar, tried to take out the Muharram procession and were taken into preventive custody by the police.

The authorities had deployed Security forces in strength and many roads were barricaded in parts of Srinagar city to prevent Shia Muslims from taking out the Muharram procession today.

The Shia Muslims who were supposed to take out 8th day MuharramTazia procession from Guru Bazar in down town Srinagar via Shaheed Gunj, Maulana Azad Road to Dalgate Imam Bara in city centre has been disallowed by the district authorities.

The District Magistrate Srinagar on Saturday decided that processions related to Muharram from Guru Bazar towards Dalgate and Abi Guzar towards Zadibal routes respectively will not be allowed keeping in view public security and law & order, an official spokesman said.

A PIL was recently filed in High Court for allowing the Shia community to take out religious processions, especially on the 8th of Muharram from Guru Bazaar to Dalgate. The Court had asked the competent authority to take the decision regarding the Muharram procession.

The Muharram processions in the City Centre have not been allowed since 1989. However, Muharram processions are being held in the interior parts of the city and other districts of the Kashmir valley as usual.

Many roads from Guru Bazar to Dalgate were barricaded and concertina razor wires were laid to plug the lanes and bylanes besides security forces were deployed in strength to maintain law and order and to prevent any gathering.

“General public is requested to respect rule of law and don’t appreciate/endorse any rumour of a procession rally”, a police advisory said.

“In view of the Muharram-ul-Haram there would be multiple cut offs established across Srinagar city to discourage the movement of people towards city centre”, a Traffic police advisory said and added in order to have smooth movement of traffic and for convenience of the general public, motorists were directed to use alternative routes.