Mob of 200 barges into mosque, attacks worshippers in Gurgaon village
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Gurgaon: A mob of nearly 200 people were said to have barged into a mosque in Gurgaon's Bhora Kalan village, vandalised the properties and assaulted the worshippers on Wednesday, alleging that the mosque is being expanded on illegal land on the pretext of renovation.
The Muslim families, who are small in numbers in the village, said that they had been threatened by the local Hindus ever since the renovation works of the mosque began.
Though the police have filed a case against eight to ten identified people, charging several sections of IPC, no one has been arrested yet.
Based on a complaint from a retired army man from the village, the police have filed an FIR under IPC sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly), 295A (malicious acts to outrage religious feelings), 323 (causing hurt), and 506 (criminal intimidation).
According to Nazar Mohd, the army man, a mob of nearly 200, reportedly led by Rajesh Chauhan alias Babu, Anil Bhadoria, and Sanjay Vyas, had tried to force their way into the mosque twice on Wednesday. The mob with guns also came back in the evening when there was namaz going on and attacked worshippers and threatened to leave the village, besides locking the mosque, Nazar said.
"In the night again, when we were praying inside the prayer hall in the mosque, the mob came and assaulted the namazis and even locked the prayer hall. They also threatened to kill us," the Subedar said in his complaint, according to police.
By the time police reached, the accused had fled. Police have recovered a mobile phone from the spot which may belong to someone part of the attacking mob, officials said.
Following Mohammad's complaint, an FIR was registered against Rajesh Chauhan, Anil Bhadoria, Sanjay Vyas and several others under charges of rioting, trying to cause religious strife and unlawful assembly at Bilaspur Police Station.
The police were said to have strengthened the security of the area and have been in talks with the community leaders to maintain law and order.
The Police are of the opinion that there had a small quarrel between the two communities when the Muslim families in the village built a small mosque years ago. About eight to ten people, who have been identified for their part in the commotion, were on the run, said the police.
Locals said the mosque caters to 150-200 persons from the village.
