Police in Uttarakhand have registered a case against a named suspect and unidentified persons for allegedly assaulting a Muslim man while he was offering prayers near a temple in Rudrapur town of Udham Singh Nagar district, The Hindustan Times reported citing officials.
The incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon near Atriya Temple in Rudrapur. A video purportedly showing the assault has circulated widely on social media.
In the footage, a man is seen approaching the victim during namaz, grabbing him by the neck and throwing him to the ground, before kicking and slapping him. The assailant is also heard questioning why prayers were being offered near a temple and allegedly forcing the man to chant a Hindu religious slogan.
Police said an FIR was registered at Pantnagar police station against Arvind Sharma and others under sections 115 (voluntarily causing hurt), 351(3) (criminal intimidation) and 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Superintendent of Police (Crime) Jitendra Choudhary said the complaint had been recorded and an investigation was underway.
The victim, identified as Mohammad Shahid, 44, a resident of the Resham Bari area, told local media he had been in Jagatpura for daily wage work and had been offering afternoon prayers at the spot during the fasting month of Ramzan.
Shahid said he sustained injuries in the assault and alleged that he was beaten with sticks even after the video recording stopped. He also alleged that he was threatened and forced to chant the slogan. “I said it under compulsion because I wanted to save my life,” he said.
Choudhary said police were also examining the ownership status of the land where the prayers were being offered. “All aspects are being looked into,” he added.