Video shows an injured man lying on the temple ground as villagers argue he should be handed over to the police; doctors confirm mental illness
HYDERABAD – A mentally deranged Muslim youth was beaten by villagers after being seen inside the Ayyappa Swamy Temple in the Hyderabad suburb of Medchal on Wednesday, amid claims on social media that he had entered the premises to offer namaz.
Police later confirmed that the man, who kept repeating the words “Zubair” and “Bihar”, was suffering from mental illness. After a medical examination, a local court directed that he be admitted to the Erragadda Mental Health Hospital for treatment.
The incident occurred in Pratap Singaram village, within the Medipally police limits.
A video of the incident has gone viral on social media. In the footage, the youth, wearing a red shirt, is seen lying injured and exhausted on the ground inside the temple premises. Several villagers stand around him.
When local people question him in the video, he is unable to respond properly and repeats only a few words. At one point, a villager is heard saying, “Why are you beating him? We should hand him over to the police. The police will take care of him.”
Soon after receiving information, Medipally police reached the spot and took the youth into custody.
Police registered a case under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including provisions related to hurting religious sentiments, unlawful entry and promoting enmity between groups.
Speaking to reporters, the Medipally Assistant Commissioner of Police said, “The Muslim youth is not able to communicate properly. During questioning, he kept repeating only two words — ‘Zubair’ and ‘Bihar’.”
The officer added that, according to preliminary information, the youth had come to the area for daily routine activities. “Local people saw him moving suspiciously near the small Anjaneya temple inside the main Ayyappa Swamy temple complex. We immediately took him into custody,” he said.
The youth was taken to Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad for medical examination. Doctors informed the police that he was suffering from mental illness.
On Thursday, he was produced before a court. After examining the medical report, the court directed the police to admit him to the Erragadda Mental Health Hospital for treatment.
A police official said, “Based on the medical report, the court has ordered that he be shifted to the mental health hospital. His treatment will now continue under medical supervision.”
Meanwhile, the youth wing of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) alleged that the youth was offering namaz on the roof of a shed inside the temple premises.
In a video shared on social media, a BJYM leader claimed, “We do not know whether he came with the intention of theft or something else. But we caught him immediately and handed him over to the police.”
He further alleged that such incidents have increased after the Congress government came to power in the state and claimed that police action remains limited to registering cases.
Local Muslim residents have expressed concern over the incident, saying that a mentally ill person should not have been assaulted.
A resident of the area said on condition of anonymity, “If he were mentally unwell, people should have shown humanity. Instead of beating him, they should have called the police straight away.”
Another community member said, “False claims that he was offering namaz inside the temple have made the situation worse. This kind of narrative puts ordinary Muslims at risk.”
Community elders have appealed for calm and urged people not to believe unverified claims circulating online.
Police have urged citizens not to spread rumours and to avoid taking the law into their own hands.
An officer said, “People should inform the police if they find anything suspicious. Assaulting someone is not acceptable.”
The case has once again raised questions about the safety of vulnerable individuals, particularly those suffering from mental health conditions, and about how quickly communal suspicions can grow in sensitive situations.
For now, ‘Zubair’ remains under medical care, while police continue their inquiry into the incident.
