New Delhi: On September 23, a video surfaced on social media from Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh. It soon went viral.
In the video, a woman could be seen offering namaz in the premises of a hospital – the Tej Bahadur Sapru Chikitsalaya in the city.
Soon after, reports claimed that an FIR has been registered against the woman for offering prayers in public.
This news break came after eight people had been arrested for offering namaz at a weekly market in Uttarakhand’s Haridwar in July, and the arrest of four people who offered namaz at the Lulu Mall in Lucknow in the same month.
In August, in Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad, a similar row had surfaced on social media after which 26 persons were booked for offering namaz at their premises. Later, the Moradabad police had expunged the case citing lack of evidence.
Earlier, a professor from Varshney College in Aligarh had faced disciplinary action after offering namaz on the varsity’s grounds.
However, on the evening of September 23, Prayagraj police offered a clarification on Twitter stating that no case had been registered against the woman.
The statement read, “It was found that the woman was offering namaz without any wrong intention and was not disturbing anyone. She was offering prayers only for the betterment of the patient.”
“The act of the woman does not amount to any crime,” the police said.
#Prayagraj Namaz Row
Police issues statement says no charges applicable in the case. Full statement👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/OWSSOvl8W4— Sumedhapal (@Sumedhapal4) September 23, 2022
However, the hospital has constituted a committee to “investigate” the incident.
The Indian Express reported hospital superintendent Dr M.K. Akhauri as having said that the woman had come on Thursday, September 22, to meet a patient admitted to the dengue ward. In the afternoon, she offered namaz there.
“Someone made a video of her, and posted it on social media,” he said, adding, “the hospital administration reached there, and warned the woman not to do it.” He also confirmed that the hospital administration has constituted a committee to probe the incident.
