Maulvi beaten to death as rival sects clash

MUMBAI, JUNE 26: A pall of gloom enveloped the Madanpura area in Nagpada on the eve of Id-e-Milad when a maulvi of the Jamal Masjid situated on the Mohd Umar Rajab road died after being mercilessly beaten up by an angry mob.According to sources at Nagpada police station, a group of people belonging to the Devbandhi and Barelvi, two rival sects of the Muslim community had gathered at the masjid to offer the prayers.

Some argument broke out between the two groups over an old dispute regarding the trusteeship of the masjid, police said. In the ensuing feud, the 72-year-old maulvi, Haji Saheb, who belonged to the Devbandhi sect was bashed up by the people of the rival sect. The maulvi soon succumbed to his injuries on the spot, sources said. Three persons have been arrested by the Nagpada police in the case.

The entire area around the masjid has been put under heavy police bandobast after the incident to prevent the situation from escalating further. The two sects are considered to be traditional rivals, andthere have been several flare-ups between them in the past.