A 22-year-old student was arrested by Uttar Pradesh Police for allegedly offering namaz in an open area on the campus of the Intellectual Institute of Management and Technology (IIMT) University.
The student, Khalid Pradhan or Khalid Mewati, was detained after local Hindu communities were up in arms over an alleged video showing about 50 students performing namaz on the campus of the university. According to the police, the incident occurred on March 13, one day before Holi, the Hindu festival of colours.
Hindu groups demanded action, pointing to the many students appearing in the video and the fact that it was released on Holi, which they alleged was an attempt to arouse communal sentiments.
The university administration responded by suspending Khalid Pradhan and three security personnel. It also urged police and administrative authorities to take action against Pradhan, who allegedly uploaded the video.
Circle Officer Sadar Dehat Shiv Pratap Singh confirmed the arrest, stating, “A video of namaz being offered on the IIMT University campus was circulated on social media.” He added that Pradhan was sent to jail following his arrest.
A first information report (FIR) in the case was filed on Friday against university authorities by a complainant identified as Kartik Hindu, Ganga Nagar police station SHO Anoop Singh told PTI. The case has been registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Section 299, which pertains to deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings, along with relevant provisions of the Information Technology (Amendment) Act, 2008.
IIMT University official Sunil Sharma said an internal probe established that the namaz was performed in an open space and the video was posted in a way that could “disrupt communal harmony.”
The incident occurred in the wake of enhanced security deployments in Uttar Pradesh, as Holi this year coincided with the second Friday prayers of Ramadan.
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