Police register case under BNS provisions; accused say they were waiting for civic meeting when prayers were offered.
Police register case under BNS provisions; accused say they were waiting for civic meeting when prayers were offered.
Police in Malegaon have registered a case against seven individuals for allegedly offering namaz inside the Electricity Department office of the Malegaon Municipal Corporation on Wednesday.
The complaint was filed by municipal employee Mahendra Raghunath Sawant (43). In his statement, Sawant alleged that a group of men entered the office premises and later performed afternoon prayers inside the department.
According to the complaint, two men identified as Salim and Lukman initially visited the office along with others to seek information about streetlight installations and related records. Sawant stated that they were informed the relevant documents were handled by the Electrical Inspector and subsequently left the premises.
He further alleged that the group returned around 5 pm and informed staff that they would offer Asr prayers inside the office before departing.
Following the complaint, Malegaon police registered a case under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including provisions related to criminal force against a public servant, public nuisance, unlawful assembly, and joint liability of members of an unlawful assembly.
However, individuals associated with the group have contested the allegations. They claimed they had been called to the department office around 3 pm to discuss civic issues and were asked to wait for several hours.
According to their version, the waiting period coincided with the time for afternoon prayers. They said they chose to offer namaz inside the premises to avoid missing the scheduled meeting, fearing that stepping out might lead to its cancellation.
Police officials said the matter is under investigation and that further action will be taken based on the findings.
