New Delhi: Four people have been arrested in connection with the rioting and murder of an imam at Gurugram’s Anjuman Jama Masjid on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday.
In the targeted attacks that followed communal clashes during a religious procession in Haryana’s Nuh district, the Anjuman Jama Masjid — located in Gurugram’s Sector 57 — was torched by a mob of 90-100 people, according to the FIR registered Tuesday. Maulana Saad, the naib imam, was stabbed multiple times while a caretaker of the mosque, Khurshid Alam, suffered gunshot wounds and is currently admitted in a private hospital.
A senior Gurugram police officer told ThePrint, “Four people have been arrested — Ankit, Rahul, Ravinder and Rakesh. They belong to the neighbouring Tigra village. Raids are being conducted to arrest the other accused in the case.”
Asked if the accused are affiliated to any outfit or organisation, the officer said: “That is being probed.”
Speaking to mediapersons Wednesday, Director General of Police (DGP) Haryana P. K. Agrawal confirmed the arrests.
The 22-year-old naib imam, police sources said, was stabbed at least nine times and died of the wounds. There were stab wounds on his neck as well, they added.
As reported by ThePrint earlier, the FIR lodged in connection with the incident stated, “At 12.15 am, a group of 90-100 men gathered outside the mosque and surrounded it from all sides with lathis and weapons. Some of them had covered their faces with masks. They had lathis, sticks and weapons in their hands. They chanted Jai Shree Ram and surrounded the mosque”.
It also mentioned that when the police as well as some members of the Muslim community tried to put out the blaze, some entered the mosque and opened fire.
On Tuesday afternoon, a mob had torched multiple shops and shanties, mostly belonging to the Muslim community, in parts of Gurugram. On Wednesday, the Vishva Hindu Parishad and its youth wing Bajrang Dal held multiple protests.
A total of 15 FIRs have been lodged by the Gurugram police and some 30 people have been detained. The Nuh police have registered 26 FIRs so far, and arrested 116 people.
This is an updated version of the report.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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