Ruckus at mosque in Bilaspur village, 20 booked

According to the police, the incident took place around 8.30pm Wednesday. They said the suspects, who did not cover their faces, allegedly assaulted the Muslims offering prayers at the mosque, forced them out and then locked the mosque from outside before fleeing the area

At least 20 suspects, three of whom were identified, were booked for allegedly barging into a mosque in Bhorakalan village in Bilaspur and assaulting four Muslims offering prayers there on Wednesday night before locking up the mosque from the outside, the police said on Thursday, and added that the suspects, believed to be a group of Hindus from the same village, fled soon after the incident. No arrest has been made as yet, they said.

Damaged chairs in the prayer room. (HT Photo)

According to the police, aside from the 20,000 Hindus in the village, there are six Muslim families -- including extended relatives, they number about 500 -- in the village who offer prayers at the small 35-year-old mosque.

According to the police, the incident took place around 8.30pm Wednesday. They said the suspects, who did not cover their faces, allegedly assaulted the Muslims offering prayers at the mosque, forced them out and then locked the mosque from outside before fleeing the area. Those praying managed to identify three of the suspects.

Police said the suspects were armed with sticks and rods and they also damaged chairs and other furniture in the mosque.

Investigators said a police team reached the spot within 30 minutes and broke the lock to reopen the mosque.

Police said the injured persons were identified as Umeed Khan (80), his brother Jaggi Khan (75), their nephews Nasir (22), who is also the imam of the mosque, and Aas Mohammad (30). Police said they sustained bruises in the assault and were rushed to the government hospital in Pataudi.

On a complaint by Nazar Mohammad (66), a retired army subedar and the brother of Jaggi and Umeed, an FIR was registered against Rajesh Chauhan alias Babbu, Anil Bhadauria and Sanjay Vyas and other unidentified suspects under sections 147 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly), 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of Indian Penal Code at Bilaspur police station on Thursday.

Police said the complainant has alleged that since 2013, a group of Hindu locals have been protesting against namaz at the mosque. “The matter reached the district administration at that time. We agreed not to keep any maulvi at the mosque and also to not allow anyone from outside the village to gather there or offer prayers. However, such an attack is a first,” he said.

The ex-serviceman said kept their promises as they wanted no disharmony. “The miscreants didn’t even show any mercy to the elders. They injured them and fled after forcing us out and locking the mosque from outside,” Mohammed said.

He also alleged that the miscreants frequently threatened them to leave the village. “We have been living peacefully. We have always listened to what other villagers said but still we face such problems,” he said.

Harinder Kumar, assistant commissioner of police (Pataudi), said police conducted raids on the houses of the three identified suspectsbut they were not to be found.

“All of them are on the run but we will arrest them soon,” the ACP said, adding that some miscreants were trying to disrupt the peace by instigating disharmony between communities ahead of the upcoming panchayat elections.

“They reached the mosque on Wednesday morning too, assuming that some rooms were being constructed there. But only repairs and painting work were going on there. At night, they returned and attacked those offering prayers,” ACP Kumar said.

Inspector Ajay Kumar, station house officer of Bilaspur police station, said a meeting was held at the village with the elderly persons of both communities on Thursday to ensure law and order. “Both sides have agreed to maintain peace,” he said.

Yajvinder Sharma, the village sarpanch, said the same miscreants had created trouble around six years ago by entering into an argument with those offering prayers at the mosque. “Right now, the situation is peaceful. We hugged each other after the meeting on Thursday night and distributed sweets,” he said.

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