Case booked over namaaz at UP university during Holi

Police have registered a case over the open offering of namaaz at a private university during Holi celebrations after a video of the incident surfaced on social media, officials said on Saturday.

Ganga Nagar Station House Officer (SHO) Anoop Singh said the case was lodged based on a complaint by Kartik Hindu.

IIMT University spokesperson Sunil Sharma said an internal investigation found that the namaaz offering in an open area and its video were intended to disrupt communal harmony.

"The university had requested police and administrative action against Khalid Pradhan, who had uploaded the video" Sharma added.

A case has been filed under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Section 299 (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) and relevant provisions of the Information Technology (Amendment) Act, 2008, he said.

The incident gained attention after a video, allegedly uploaded by student Khalid Pradhan (Khalid Mewati), showed students offering namaaz on the university campus.

The video triggered protests from local Hindu groups.

Following the incident, the university administration suspended Pradhan and three security personnel.

Local Hindu groups have demanded the arrest of those involved, citing the large number of students participating and the timing of the video's circulation during Holi.