Maharashtra: Imam Assaulted In Mosque, His Beard Cut Off For Refusing To Chant 'Jai Shri Ram'
In a shocking development, an imam in Maharashtra's Jalna district was assaulted by unidentified individuals, who also allegedly cut off his beard after he refused to chant 'Jai Shri Ram'.?
The Imam, Zakir Sayyed Khaja, said the incident occurred on Sunday at around 7.30 pm when he was alone in the mosque in Anwa village in Bhokardan tehsil, PTI reported.
Imam was asked to chant 'Jai Shri Ram'?
At that point, unidentified individuals, with their faces covered in cloth, entered the shrine and forced the Imam to chant 'Jai Shri Ram' while he was reading the Quran.?
Upon his refusal to do so, the Imam was taken outside the mosque by three individuals, who then beat him up.?
The Imam told India Today that the assailants used a chemical-laced cloth to make him unconscious and that he found his beard had been clipped off upon returning to his senses.
Found?unconscious outside mosque
On the following day, at 8 pm, people arrived at the mosque and saw him lying outside in an unconscious state. They rushed him to a government hospital in Sillod.?
Later, he was taken to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in Aurangabad, where he is currently undergoing treatment.
As the incident became public, the cops arrived at the village and started probing the case.?
Case registered against attackers
The unidentified individuals have been booked under Sections 452 (trespassing after preparation for hurt, assault), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) and 34 (criminal act by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Amidst the prevailing tensions over the incident, Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Asim Azmi took to Twitter and asked?Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis take strict action against the attackers.
Following the incident, security has been tightened in the village, and the extensive deployment of police personnel has been undertaken to maintain the peace in the area.
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