‘Asked his name, then attacked’: Muzaffarnagar cleric assaulted on way to mosque, 5 named in FIR

MUZAFFARNAGAR: A 28-year-old cleric was allegedly assaulted by a group of men in the Sarwat area under the Civil Lines police station limits on Sunday, police said to news agency PTI. The victim, Mufti Abdul Wahab, was on his way to a mosque for prayers when he was attacked. According to Circle Officer Siddharth Mishra, a case has been registered against five men — Lavi, Basant, Harish, Aditya and Rishabh — in connection with the incident. One of the accused, Lavi, has been arrested, while efforts are underway to trace the others. In a complaint filed by Wahab’s family, it was alleged that the cleric was travelling on his motorcycle to the mosque when the men stopped him, passed objectionable remarks and asked his name before assaulting him with sticks and a bat.

Wahab was initially taken to the district hospital and later referred to a higher medical facility after his condition turned critical, police said. Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind condemned the attack and demanded strict action against those involved. The organisation’s media in-charge, Maulana Sabir, termed the incident provocative and called for stringent action against the accused. Police said security has been stepped up in the area following the incident.(With agency inputs)