'I love Mohammad' row twist: How a misspelled slogan on temple walls to frame Muslims led to accused in Aligarh

AGRA: Four men have been arrested in Aligarh, and one is absconding, for allegedly writing “I love Muhammad” on the walls of temples to falsely implicate Muslim neighbours over property dispute.Aligarh SSP Neeraj Jadon identified the arrested as Jishant Kumar, Akash Kumar, Dilip Kumar, and Abhishek Sarswat, all aged between 30 and 35, while Rahul is currently absconding.

Misspelled ‘I love Muhammad’ graffiti on temple led police to Hindu youths

Police said the slogans were found scribbled on four shrines on October 25. A complaint was filed by a member of a right-wing organisation, naming Muslim men.“Police rushed to the spot with senior officers, erased the graffiti and calmed the crowd.

A case was then registered against Maulvi Mustaqeem, Gul Mohammad, Suleman, Sonu, Allabaksh, Hasan, Hamid and Yusuf,” SSP Jadon said.But police soon noticed something odd. The slogans were misspelled, and all in the same way. The mistake didn’t match the way I love Muhammad had appeared on banners during protests in Bareilly in September. That difference led investigators to suspect mischief.Police teams used technical surveillance, including CCTV footage and call detail records, along with field intelligence, to track down the actual culprits.

A case under BNS sections, including 299 (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings), was registered against themen, and they were sent to jail.SSP Jadon said police found the men had personal disputes with some of the Muslims they tried to frame. “In Jan 2024, there was a clash involving Gul Mohammad’s and Mukesh’s families,” said a senior officer. “Around 15 people were chargesheeted in that case.

In Sept, Mustaqeem and Jeeshan were injured in a violent altercation. Both sides filed cross-cases,” he added.In Sept, protests erupted in Bareilly over posters bearing the slogan “I loveMuhammad” in the city. Tensions escalated on Sept 26 when a large crowd gathered near a mosque in protest.Police said Rahul, who is absconding, is the son of the man involved in a property dispute with Gul Mohammad over a house in Bhagwanpur, located next to one of the temples that was defaced. “The accused believed the graffiti would strengthen their position in the property dispute by getting the other party arrested,” said the officer. But a spelling mistake exposed the plot.