26 booked in UP for holding mass Namaz inside house

Bareilly: For holding Namaz inside a house as a mass, twenty-six people were booked by the Uttar Pradesh police in Moradabad district, alleging that the mass gathering was without advance permission, Times of India (TOI) reported.

Also, the booked were accused of performing the mass, held in a village in the Chhajlet area, against the neighbour's wishes.

Moradabad rural SP, Sandeep Kumar Meena, told TOI that scores of people gathered at two houses o August 24 without any notice and offered prayers. In the past, police had cautioned them before not to indulge in such activities in houses after neighbours, who belonged to another community, raised objections, he claimed.

He said that an FIR was registered, including sections under IPC 505-2 (statement conducing to public mischief in an assembly engaged in the performance of religious worship) against 16 identified and 10 unidentified persons, based on a complaint by a local, Chandra Pal Singh. The police are looking for the accused, he added.

Social media witnessed viral pictures of groups of people praying together inside houses in a village. Following this, right-wing activists initiated protests demanding police action