NEW DELHI — At least 40 Muslims, including 15 individuals named in the FIR, have been booked in Uttar Pradesh’s Bijnor district for offering Eid Al-Adha prayers on Thursday on a road adjoining an Eidgah. They face action for “violating the government directives” prohibiting prayers on public roads.
Those named in the FIR include Samoon, Nabi Baksh, Aijaz, Salim, Mumtaz, Abdul Rauf, Badruddin, Vakiluddin, Chamman, alias Saifudin, and Yusuf. Further details on those booked have not yet been ascertained.
Muslims reportedly offered Eid prayers near an Eidgah located on Mahmudpur Marg, where hundreds of people had gathered for the congregational prayers.
As per reports, a large number of worshippers arrived at the Eidgah for prayers. However, due to limited space inside the premises, hundreds of people were forced to offer namaz on the roadside.
Witnesses said the Eidgah became overcrowded shortly before the prayers began, leaving insufficient space for everyone inside. As a result, several worshippers sat along the roadside and joined the congregational prayers from outside the gate.
Police officials stated that security personnel were deployed at the site to manage the crowd. However, despite their presence, a section of devotees offered namaz on the road.
The matter came to the attention of authorities after videos from the site were widely shared on social media. Following this, the police initiated legal action and began an inquiry into the incident.
Kotwali Inspector Rahul Singh, who filed the complaint, said officers had attempted to persuade people not to pray on the road. According to him, the heavy rush and the scheduled prayer time made crowd management challenging.
“Because of the large gathering, some people sat on one side of the road outside the Eidgah and offered prayers. We requested them not to do so, but they did not listen,” the officer said.
Police said the case was registered over the alleged violation of government directives that prohibit religious congregations from being held on public roads. Further investigation is underway.
