Mumbai: After the Nashik TCS case where there are allegations of religious harassment, Nagpur police have now arrested the head of a local NGO over charges of hurting religious sentiments and exploitation.
Speaking to the media, Haresh Kalsekar, the Mankapur police investigating officer said Mohammad Riyaz Kazi was arrested after complaints from four women working at the NGO.
“One of the complainants told us that she was molested by him, and other women complained that he talked to them about offering namaz, dua, or observe roza,” Kalsekar said.
According to the police, Kazi runs an NGO named Universal Multipurpose Society, which claims to educate deprived children.
The police have confiscated Kazi’s mobile phone and investigation is underway.
A case has been registered under various sections of the BNS including assault on women, hurting religious sentiments, outraging modesty and also under sections of Information Technology Act for misusing social media for stalking women. The accused will be in police custody till 23 April.
As per Kalsekar, one of the women alleged that about two years ago, on her birthday, Kazi molested her. After that he tried to do the same another couple of times.
“Some women who had left the job came to us and said he would talk about Islamic practices. A woman who had left the job about 8 days ago reported that he called her mother and fed some misinformation about the character of other women, after that the women spoke amongst themselves and decided to come to the police station,” Kalsekar told local media. All the complainants are Hindu, he added.
“When we asked the girls whether he forced them into religious conversion, they denied it but the women were constantly being given information about Muslim practices,” the inspector said.
According to the police, the NGO has been functioning since 2010. The NGO’s website mentions that it is active in the field of education, health, and works with slum-dwellers and labourers.
Mohammad Riyaz Mohammad Fajil Kazi holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Social Work from RTM University, Nagpur, as per the website. He has worked as a project director at an old age home in Nagpur and as district coordinator for Amravati at the Axshaya (Tuberculosis) National Health Project.
He was awarded the Times of India Nagpur Hero Award 2024, the Mahatma Gandhi International Peace Award in 2019, the Rajiv Gandhi Shiromani Achievements Award in 2018, the Change Maker Award in 2021, as well as the prestigious Covid-19 Warrior Award.
ThePrint reached out to the NGO via phone call, but there was no response.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)