A case has been registered against 40 people, including 15 named individuals, for allegedly offering namaz on a public road outside an Eidgah during Eid al-Adha celebrations in Uttar Pradesh’s Bijnor, police said.
The incident took place on Thursday near an Idgah located on Mahmudpur Marg, where a large number of devotees had gathered to offer prayers on Eid al-Adha.
Overcrowding at Eidgah led to namaz on road
According to reports, hundreds of people reached the Eidgah for namaz, but due to heavy crowding and limited space inside the premises, several worshippers were seen sitting on the roadside to offer prayers.
Officials said that a significant number of devotees performed namaz on the road just outside the Eidgah gate, even in the presence of police and administrative personnel deployed for crowd management.
A video of the incident later circulated widely on social media, after which police took cognizance of the matter.
Police say attempts were made to stop worshippers
Kotwali in-charge Inspector Rahul Singh said in his report that police had tried to stop the devotees from offering namaz on the road but they did not comply.
“Due to the timing of namaz and heavy rush, some people sat on one side of the road outside the Idgah and offered prayers. We tried to convince them, but they did not agree,” the officer said.
15 named, 40 booked in FIR
Following the complaint filed by Inspector Rahul Singh, police registered a case against 40 people in connection with the incident.
Fifteen individuals have been specifically named in the FIR, including Samoon, Navi Baksh, Aijaz, Salim, Mumtaz, Abdul Rauf, Badrudin, Vikaludin, Chamman alias Saifudin, and Yusuf.
Case filed after alleged violation of government orders
Police said the action was taken after alleged violation of government instructions restricting prayers on public roads.
Further investigation into the matter is underway, officials added.
