Bareilly Police Claim House Was Being 'Turned Into a Madrasa'; Owner Says 'Had Allowed Namaz'

Amid speculations that the men in the video were allegedly trying to encroach a private property, the owner of the house has come forward claiming she gave permission to the locals to offer Namaz at her premises.

Piyush Rai

Asif Ansari

bareilly police claim house was being turned into a madrasa owner says had allowed namaz

The empty house where the men were offering the namaz. The owner, a widow, had consented to it. Photo: Asif Ansari

Lucknow/Bareilly: Mohammadganj, a small village in Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh, has come into the spotlight after a video surfaced on social media showing a group of men offering namaz on the rooftop of a house. The incident happened in January 16.

The video triggered police action and at least 12 people seen in it were charged under Section 170 of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in a preventive action by the police. A photograph of the 12 people in police custody, circulating on social media, sparked further criticism about the harsh police action over a small religious gathering.

Reshma, the homeowner, a widow and mother of five, has said, "There is no other place, and the house was lying vacant. People normally offer namaz at other vacant houses of families that have moved elsewhere. But now I am being pressurised to not allow the offering of namaz at my residence."

This controversy has its context buried in events from 30 years ago.

In March 1995, people from Mohammadganj village had approached the Bareilly superintendent of police, complaining about men from the Muslim community were allegedly trying to offer namaz on Gram Sabha land. The Wire is in possession of a copy of the complaint.

Village elders now claim that a consensus was reached to settle the dispute, stipulating that neither a temple nor a mosque would be built in the village in the future.

In the latest case, the video of the people offering namaz at the house was shared with the local authorities, along with a complaint claiming that the house was being turned into a madrasa. The police acted based on this complaint.

"Some families have shifted overseas. Their houses are lying abandoned. We seek permission from them before offering namaz there," said Tarika Khan, a villager who was part of the group that offered namaz and was later booked in a preventive action.

Bareilly police claim they had received a complaint from local villagers during Tehsil Diwas, following which a preventive action aimed at keeping the peace was taken.

Speaking to The Wire over the phone, Anshika Verma, Bareilly's additional superintendent of police, said, "They were bound down for peacekeeping. They were trying to convert it into a madrasa without permission from the competent authority. Other communities raised an alert over it. That is why they were brought to the police station and challaned."

This article went live on January nineteenth, two thousand twenty six, at eleven minutes past ten at night.

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