Uttar Pradesh Minister of State for Backward Development Mehboob Ali's son Pervej and three of his friends were arrested on Friday in Moradabad for assaulting several people, including a woman, and ransacking a public telephone booth and a beauty parlour.

Three rifles, two guns and some live cartridges were recovered from Pervej and his friends. According to the police Pervej and his friends came in a police jeep to fax some message to Lucknow.

Sensing something wrong the owner of the telephone booth refused to fax the message following which Pervej and his friends abused her and ransacked it. They also damaged the adjoining beauty parlour, which was also owned by the same woman.

They also attacked several people who tried to intervene on behalf of the woman, the police said.

When the police arrived the minister's son attacked them, they said. Pervej and his friends have been arrested.

They were later produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate who granted them bail. The minister is on a Haj pilgrimage.