FIR against 25 people in UP's Moradabad over namaz in open space, say police
Moradabad (UP), Aug 29: The police have lodged an FIR against 25 people here after they offered namaz at an open space that, they claimed, was the private property of some of them.
A police official said the case has been registered under Indian Penal Code section 505 (public mischief) at the Chajlait Police Station. Namaz was being offered at the open space in Uttar Pradesh's Dellepur village despite warning, the official said.
Locals claimed that they have been "victimised" by the police and members of a right-wing group with blatant disregard for the Constitution which gives everyone the freedom to worship.
One of the people named in the FIR said the police complaint was lodged on June 3 and the case registered on August 24.
Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), Rural, Sandeep Kumar Meena said, "The villagers continued to perform namaz in the open space despite a warning and being told to do it at their houses. So, we have registered a case against 25 people."
Wahid Saifi, who has been named in the FIR, said, "We are legal owners of that land where namaz was being offered frequently since Independence. But recently, some miscreants, claiming themselves to be Bajrang Dal activists, objected to it claiming it was a new practice. They complained to the police on June 3."
Police visited the spot and checked all papers and issued summons to be present in the SDM's office, he said.
"We visited the SDM office on June 3 where Circle officer, Kanth Saloni Agrawal was also present. All legal papers were presented by us but she warned us not to perform namaz in open space and since then we were following the orders. But an FIR was lodged on August 24 in Chajlait Police Station after the transfer of the SHO," Saifi said.
"We all were unaware about any case and we came to know about it from the media," Saifi said.
Samajwadi Party MP from Moradabad, S T Hassan said that upon visiting the village he found that communal harmony prevailed in the village but some miscreants complained to the police station which was "baseless".
"Police didn't take any action but after the transfer of the SHO, they lodged the FIR. A meeting of all villagers was held in his presence and a temple and a mosque constructed by MP fund has been decided," he added.
Nobody has been arrested so far in the case.
Meanwhile, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah slammed the authorities for registration of the case, saying "the problem was not with mass gathering but offering namaz".
"I'm sure if one of the neighbours had a hawan with 26 friends and relatives that would be perfectly acceptable. It's not the mass gathering that is the problem, it's the offering of namaz," he tweeted.
I’m sure if one of the neighbours had a hawan with 26 friends & relatives that would be perfectly acceptable. It’s not the “mass gathering” that is the problem, it’s the offering of namaz. https://t.co/DUrI1EqVlI
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) August 29, 2022
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Family of injured driver in murder of Suvendu's aide seeks exemplary punishment
Kolkata (PTI): The family of Buddhabeb Bera, the driver injured in the shooting that killed BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari's close aide Chandranath Rath, demanded exemplary punishment for those responsible and urged the new government to ensure such incidents do not happen in West Bengal.
Rath was shot dead in Madhyamgram near Kolkata on Wednesday night, triggering a political storm in the state. Bera, who was driving the vehicle at the time of the attack, sustained gunshot wounds and is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital.
Family members said they learned about the incident through television and immediately left for Kolkata.
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"We came to know from TV reports that my nephew had been shot. We still do not know who carried out the attack or why it happened," Buddhabeb's uncle Biswajit Bera said.
"Our only wish now is that he recovers and returns home safely," he added.
Buddhabeb, 25, hails from Majnaberia village in the Chandipur police station area in Purba Medinipur district.
According to family members, he mostly stays in Kolkata for work and visits home occasionally during weekends.
Besides his parents, his younger brother, sister-in-law and several relatives have also travelled to Kolkata following the incident.
Demanding strict action against the perpetrators, the uncle said, "We want the government to conduct a proper investigation and identify those directly involved in the crime. They should be given exemplary punishment so that such incidents do not happen again in West Bengal and no other family has to go through this grief."
A neighbour, Ranjana Ghorai, also sought stringent punishment for those behind the attack.
"In our neighbourhood, we call him Sona. We want exemplary punishment for the people responsible for this incident," she said.
Rath's family members have demanded life imprisonment for the accused, while Adhikari has called for capital punishment for those involved in the killing.
