Moradabad Namaz Row | Gathering at Private Venue, Notice: All That Happened

Ten people were served notice on 26 March for organising a congregation of 25-30 people to offer taraweeh namaz.

(Photo: The Quint)

A day after the uproar over a notice served to a Muslim family over taraweeh namaz being offered in a godown in Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad, the police said that the issue was about a dispute over property and not over the gathering.

The UP police, on Sunday, 26 March, had served a notice to 10 people, including the owner Zakir Hussain, for organising a congregation of 25-30 people to offer namaz. The notice was served by the UP police after members of the Bajrang Dal objected to the gathering.

What had happened?: On 25 March, Zakir Hussain had organised a taraweeh namaz of 25-30 people at his private property in Moradabad's Lajpat Nagar area.

"We will not let any new tradition come into force," said Rohan Saxena, state president of Rashtriya Bajrang Dal.

Following the objection, 10 people from the family were served a show cause notice under section 107/116 of the CrPC (a preventive measure to preempt breach of peace) on why they should not be bound down with surety of Rs 5 lakh each for breach of peace.

Following the notice, Hussain gave a written affidavit to the police agreeing to not organise taraweeh in the future at the property.

On 27 March, the police said that the issue was a dispute over property.

"A few people objected to namaz being offered at the property by inviting outsiders. When we sent an officer there, nothing of the sort was verified. The property where namaz was offered is in dispute. Both parties have been barred from using the venue," Hemraj Meena, SSP, Moradabad told The Quint.

He further said that no individual or group has the right to disrupt anybody's religious activities, and the action will be taken against the ones doing so.