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Assam: Imam allegedly stabbed to death inside mosque; accused arrested
According to the police, the accused, Mohammad Ibrahim Ahmed (42), a local resident, entered the mosque with a machete during Sunday morning prayers and stabbed Maulana Islam several times
A 55-year-old Imam (Islamic religious teacher) was allegedly stabbed to death inside the mosque in Assam’s Tinsukia district in the early hours of Sunday, police said, adding the accused has been arrested.
Maulana Tehzeeb Islam hailed from Bihar’s Purnia district and was working as an Imam at a mosque in Tinsukia’s Makum Kolabari area, police said.
According to the police, the accused, Mohammad Ibrahim Ahmed (42), a local resident, entered the mosque with a machete during Sunday morning prayers and stabbed Maulana Islam several times.
“The Imam died on the spot, and the accused fled, leaving behind the murder weapon. He changed his bloodstained dress and came back pretending to be an onlooker. We identified and detained him,” a senior police officer said.
Police said that they have registered a case against accused Ibrahim Ahmed under section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
“He has confessed his crime, and we are interrogating him further. A case has been registered under murder charges, and we may add some other sections later,” Tinsukia district additional superintendent of police (ASP) told HT on Sunday.
Speaking to the media, locals said that a few days earlier, the duo had a verbal exchange, and Ahmed had threatened to kill the Imam.
“We asked the Imam to inform the police, but he said Allah will protect him. We did not realise that such an incident could take place,” a local resident told the media.
Police said that the reason behind the murder could be related to a personal matter, but they are interrogating the accused to find the real reason behind the murder.
The Imam’s body has been sent for post-mortem, said police, adding that his family members have been informed and have been asked to come to Assam to receive the body.
Meanwhile, locals staged a protest after demanding strict punishment for the accused.
Police said that Ahmed will be produced before the court today, and they will also submit a charge sheet at the earliest.
