The celebration and grand welcome upon his release, which included chanting Muslim religious slogans, were found to be ‘provocative’ by the Fatehpur police, leading to the re-arrest of 45-year-old cleric Maulana Firoz Alam, who had been in jail since 2021 on charges related to illegal conversions and forgery.
Police arrested Maulana and 18 others, charging them as their celebration amounted to disturbing public peace. The arrest occurred in Ghazipur town following a reception at his residence, The Indian Express reported.
According to the police, the reception involved a grand welcome for Alam, complete with bursting crackers and chanting of religious and celebratory slogans. The event, which was held shortly after Alam returned home, reportedly offended some local sentiments. Acting on a complaint, the police intervened and arrested Alam along with 18 other individuals connected to the event. All the accused have been charged with disrupting public peace.
Alam, a native of the Mahottari district in Nepal, has been residing in India since 2001 and served as an imam at a mosque in Ghazipur before his initial arrest. His frequent travels to Nepal to visit his family, including his two daughters, had also drawn the attention from authorities
In October 2021, Alam was arrested in Fatehpur for his alleged involvement in illegal conversions and for possessing forged identity documents. A search of his rented house at the time revealed multiple identification documents in his name, including a PAN card, voter ID card, Aadhaar card, driving license, and passport.
The police action on Friday was based on a complaint that the welcome event following Alam's release disturbed the local peace. The case continues to draw attention as authorities investigate the circumstances surrounding the reception and the involvement of the individuals arrested.