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Malegaon:
Barely two days before Eid-e-Miladun Nabi, distribution of a religious pamphlet Wednesday
night resulted in a clash between two Muslim groups of different
sects in Malegaon. The police have arrested three persons on
charges of provocation of religious sentiments even as further
investigation into the case is still on.
“We have arrested three persons Thursday evening under section 295
for provocation of religious sentiments. They are accused of
writing, printing and distributing pamphlets that hurt the
sentiments of the other sect”, Dy Superintendent of Police Yogesh
Chavan said to ummid.com.
The accused would be presented in
the Malegaon court today.
According to the FIR filed at Malegaon City Police Station, police
has arrested Mufti Asif Nadavi, Irfan Ahmed and Iqbal Ahmed
Siddiqui – all residents of Malegaon on Thursday evening. The
arrests were made following the complaint against them was filed
by Qari Zainulabdeen of All India Sunni Jamiatul Ulema, Malegaon.
The complainant accused them of distributing pamphlets which
allegedly hurt his religious sentiments.
While Mufti Asif Nadavi is accused of writing the said pamphlet,
Irfan Ahmed has been accused of paying for the expenses. The third
accused Iqbal Ahmed Siddiqui is the owner of the printing press.
Eyewitnesses informed ummid.com that trouble began on Thursday at
around 01:00 PM when following the distribution of some pamphlets
in Malegaon on Wednesday night, a large number of people
accompanied by All India Sunni Jamiatul Ulema members led by its
president Qari
Zainulabdeen assembled at the Malegaon City Police Station and
demanded the arrest of the people involved in the distribution of
the pamphlets.
While the protesting mob assembled at
the police station, a peace committee meeting called ahead of Eid
Milad-un-Nabi to be celebrated on Sunday was also in progress.
Interestingly, people belonging to all Muslim sects were present
in the meeting and they were unaware of what was going on outside.
Mufti Shakeel who was present in the meeting while talking to
ummid.com
said that he was called outside of the meeting hall where a large
number of people were present. “On the first sight, they started
manhandling me and demanded my arrest”, he said.
Mufti Shakeel, who is a peace committee member and corporator, was
called outside of the meeting hall as his name has also been
allegedly printed on the said pamphlet among those who
acknowledged the expressed views.
He later confirmed to the police
that his name was printed in the pamphlet without his consent. He
however said that there was nothing provocative and controversial
against anyone in the pamphlets.
Meanwhile, the situation in Malegaon
is fully under control and the police has banned any kind of
pamphlet distribution without prior permission.
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