3 min readDehradunFeb 26, 2026 03:42 AM IST
First published on: Feb 25, 2026 at 04:24 PM IST
A Muslim man was assaulted by a group of people for offering namaz at a vacant plot in Rudrapur in Udham Singh Nagar Tuesday, police said.
A video of the incident has gone viral in which a resident, 50-year-old Shahid, is seen being assaulted and asked to chant Jai Shri Ram and accused of offering namaz near Atariya temple.
An FIR has been registered against Arvind Sharma, allegedly associated with the temple committee, and unknown people under BNS sections 115, 351(3), and 352 at Pantnagar police station on the complaint of the victim.
The complaint states that Tuesday, while he was peacefully offering namaz, he was pushed and manhandled and was subjected to filthy abuses. The complaint said that he was forced to chant religious slogans, and was give death threats.
In the video, the men can be seen hurling abuses at Shahid while assaulting him with sticks. The accused is heard asking, “How dare you offer namaz in front of the temple?”
“The video clearly shows that this act was carried out collectively by a person named Arvind Sharma and some other individuals present with him. A very serious fact is that even after the video recording had started, the said person and his associates continued the assault for a considerable time,” the complaint said.
The complaint further said that it is not only inhuman but a criminal act that an unarmed old man was subjected to the assault. “This incident is likely to create fear, insecurity and communal tension in society. The entire incident is a direct attack on the rule of law, religious freedom and social harmony, and there is a full apprehension of disturbance to peace and order in the area,” the complaint said.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Shahid, who works as a mason, said that he began offering namaz at the plot since Ramadan started. “No one opposed my praying there until yesterday when the men came with sticks. I have sustained injuries to my body and head. I went to pray there because it was near my workplace. The temple they mentioned was away from the plot. Had they raised the matter earlier, I would not have gone there,” he said.
Shahid further said, “How is it a sin to offer prayers? We are fasting, and this is the holy month of Ramzan. Afterall, everyone’s prayer is the same, right?”
Senior Superintendent of Police, Udham Singh Nagar, Manikant Mishra, said that they are probing the matter. “Prima facie, the accused is associated with the temple committee. We have registered an FIR and will take action,” he added.
The Congress condemned the incident on X, calling it a vile result of the ideology of the RSS. “Narendra Modi and the BJP have stoked the fires of hatred across the country. Since 2014, such cowardly attacks on minorities have been on the rise. Such petty incidents are a direct attack on our Ganga-Jamuni culture and the Constitution, for which Narendra Modi cannot be forgiven,” the tweet said.
An FIR has been registered against Arvind Sharma, allegedly associated with the temple committee, and unknown people. (Screenshot from video shared by Congress on X) 
Share
