Mosque vandalised, ‘muezzin’ among 3 attacked in Gkp village

GORAKHPUR : A group of six men allegedly vandalised a mosque and attacked a muezzin (a man who gives azan from a mosque) there when he did not stop giving ‘azan’ on a loudspeaker during the lockdown as demanded by the men and showed them police permission for the same instead at Bankata village under Sikriganj police station limit of the district on Sunday noon, police said on Monday.

Muezzin Abdul Rahman, 35, who suffered minor injuries in the incident, said there were only three persons in the mosque as permitted by police during the lockdown.

The holy month of Ramzan began on April 25. “The trouble began when some people objected to ‘azan’ through loudspeaker and attacked the muezzin. But people from both the sides are ready for a compromise and have assured us that such incident will not reoccur and that they will maintain harmony. I have called both the sides for talks and if the talks fail, required action will be taken after lodging an FIR,” said Jatashankar, station house officer, Sikriganj police station.

After being informed, senior police officials also rushed to site and pacified people.

The attackers also allegedly vandalised the mosque and thrashed two other locals leading to communal tension in the area. Hearing the commotion, one Sonu Ali, 25, locked the attackers by closing the door of the mosque from outside and informed police of it.

In the meantime, the attackers allegedly came out of the mosque by climbing its walls and thrashed Sonu. As the youth raised an alarm, his father Azmat Ali, 50, rushed to his help but he was also beaten and suffered severe head injuries and fracture in the leg. The attackers then escaped the scene. Azmat Ali was admitted to primary health centre, Dhebra, under under Sikriganj police station.