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4 held over Prophet slogan on Aligarh temple walls, police say ‘spelling mistake gave them away’

The four arrested have been identified as Jishant Kumar, Aakash, Dileep Kumar, and Abhishek Saraswat; police say they wanted to frame a Muslim man

Prophet slogan on Aligarh temple walls, Aligarh temple, Aligarh district, Aligarh police, Noida, Aligarh, Lucknow news, Uttar pradesh news, Indian express, Current affairsForensic teams of police were involved to scrutinise CCTV footage from the surrounding areas to identify the culprits.

Nearly a week after tension mounted in two villages of Aligarh district in Uttar Pradesh after some unidentified miscreants wrote slogans of the Prophet on the walls of four temples, the police on Thursday said that they have arrested four persons.

“The four arrested men are Jishant Kumar, Aakash, Dileep Kumar, and Abhishek Saraswat – all residents of Aligarh. We also recovered the spray can from the accused that was used to write the slogans on the walls of the temple,” Senior Superintendent of Police (Aligarh) Neeraj Kumar Jadaun told mediapersons.

One of the accused, who has been identified as Rahul, is absconding, he added.

According to the SSP, the accused were identified and arrested on the basis of CCTV footage, call details, “spelling mistakes” in the slogans, and certain old case records.

“They had written different spellings for the Prophet. They are not educated people. Somewhere they spelt it as Mohmad and Muhmad,” Station House Officer (Lodha) Ankit Kumar told The Indian Express.

According to the police, Jishant Kumar wanted to frame one Mustaqeem, with whom he had an altercation, and the two had filed FIRs against each other. Jishant took the help of his three friends – Aakash, Dileep, and Abhishek – to frame Mustaqeem, they said, adding Rahul, who has a property dispute with Mustaqeem also joined them.

“Their intention was to frame Mustaqeem,” said Jadaun.

On the morning of October 25, the police had received information that religious slogans were written on the walls of four temples at Bhagwanpur and Bulaqigarh villages in the Lodha area of the district. As residents demanded the arrest of the miscreants, police registered an FIR against seven unidentified persons under BNS sections 299 (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) and 351 (criminal intimidation).

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Forensic teams of police were involved to scrutinise CCTV footage from the surrounding areas to identify the culprits.

As tension mounted in the area, a heavy deployment of police force was ordered to stop any attempts to disturb communal harmony.

The incident followed violent protests in Bareilly on September 26 over the police action in the “I Love Muhammad” posters row.

Neetika Jha is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in the Noida bureau. She primarily covers crime, health, and environmental issues, as well as human-interest features across Noida, Ghaziabad, and Western Uttar Pradesh. Professional Profile Education: She is an alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai. Core Beat: Her work focuses on the administrative and social challenges of the NCR's satellite cities. She is known for her detailed reporting on civic infrastructure (like the Noida International Airport), environmental violations, and high-profile criminal investigations. Personal Interests: Outside of reporting, she is an avid reader of fiction (citing The Thursday Murder Club and Yellowface as recent favorites) and a gardening enthusiast. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Neetika’s recent reportage has been dominated by winter-related crises in the NCR and significant criminal legalities: 1. Environment & Public Safety "Greater Noida Authority slaps fines on firms for violating GRAP IV norms" (Dec 21, 2025): Reporting on heavy penalties imposed on major developers like NBCC for flouting anti-pollution construction bans. "Fatal pile-up on Yamuna Expressway: Fog, high speed emerge as key safety risks" (Dec 17, 2025): A major report on a 15-vehicle collision caused by dense fog that killed 17 people. "At Chilla, Kalindi, DND, many fined Rs 20,000 for non-compliance to Delhi's BS-VI rule" (Dec 19, 2025): On-the-ground reporting from the borders where Noida police penalize non-compliant vehicles entering the capital. "Driving in Noida amid fog? New speed limits in effect till Feb 15" (Dec 13, 2025): Detailing the seasonal traffic restrictions aimed at preventing highway accidents. 2. Crime & Legal Developments "'Have you ever heard of a murder case being withdrawn?': Court in Akhlaq lynching case" (Dec 12, 2025): Covering a critical courtroom hearing where the court questioned the UP government's petition to withdraw charges against the accused. "After losing money in stock market, bank employee in Ghaziabad withdraws Rs 64 lakh from customers' accounts" (Dec 14, 2025): An investigative piece on internal bank fraud and the risks of modern digital embezzlement. "Woman shot dead by partner in Noida: Three days on, accused still on the run" (Dec 2, 2025): Tracking a high-profile domestic violence and murder case in Central Noida. 3. Human Interest & Features "'Had tears in my eyes': Army men walk bride down the aisle 20 years after father died in terror attack" (Dec 2, 2025): A moving story about soldiers from a Punjab Grenadiers unit fulfilling a father's duty for his daughter. "How a Zepto delivery man heard a cry — and saved two kids dumped in Noida drain" (Dec 2025): A viral human-interest story highlighting individual heroism in the city. Signature Style Neetika is recognized for her meticulous follow-up on local tragedies. Whether it is a massive pile-up on the Yamuna Expressway or the ongoing construction of the Jewar (Noida) Airport, she focuses on systemic lapses and the safety of commuters. Her crime reporting often explores the psychological motives behind "crimes of passion" and the rising trend of financial cyber-fraud in the Ghaziabad-Noida belt. ... Read More

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