Maharashtra Imam Targeted: An imam was thrashed by unidentified people for refusing to chant 'Jai Shri Ram' at a mosque in Maharashtra's Anwa village. A video of him being assaulted by unidentified individuals has gone viral on social media.
The incident occurred on Sunday i.e. March 26 around 7.30 p.m., while he was reading the Quran inside the mosque.
When the incident occurred, victim Zakir Sayyed Khaja was alone in the mosque in Anwa village, Bhokardan tehsil.
Unknown individuals entered the mosque with cloth covering their faces and forced the Imam to chant 'Jai Shri Ram' while reading the Quran.
When the Imam refused to do as he said, three people beat him outside the mosque. According to the Imam, his assailants used a chemical-laced cloth to knock him out.
When he regained consciousness, he discovered his beard had been severed. When people arrived at the mosque for the prayer at 8 p.m.
They discovered him unconscious outside the mosque. They rushed him to a Sillod government hospital.
He was later transferred to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in Aurangabad, where he is being treated.
The unidentified individuals were charged at the Paradh police station in Bhokardan under Indian Penal Code Sections 452 (trespassing after preparation for harm, assault), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing harm), and 34 (criminal act by several persons in furtherance of common intention).
Calling for strict action against the attackers, Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Asim Azmi expressed his demand on social media, urging Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to take immediate action.
Superintendent of Police Akshay Shinde visited the village to assess the situation, and he stated that a large number of police officers have been deployed to maintain order.
In addition, he stated that efforts are being made to identify and bring to justice those responsible for the incident, and as a precautionary measure, security in the village has been strengthened to maintain peace and prevent any potential tensions.
