A fruit shop owned by a Muslim man was set ablaze during a procession celebrating the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on Monday, January 21 in Sangareddy district of Telangana. According to videos shared on social media, the mob raised provocative slogans while setting the shop on fire.
23-year-old Shaik Ibrahim stated in the FIR that a group gathered outside his house during the rally alleging that someone threw a shoe at the procession which led to the violence. “I had just returned home and when I inquired, I was told that someone threw a shoe from my home which led to everyone gathering outside the building,” Ibrahim stated in the FIR. A FIR was registered against Ibrahim’s brothers in connection with the issue based on a complaint by Bitla Mahesh, a member of the Sriramayalaya Utsav Committee.
When police arrived to enquire into the issue at the residence, at around 9 pm, the mob intentionally damaged and set Ibrahim’s shop located at Gandhi Chowrastha on fire. Ibrahim stated in his complaint that the produce was completely damaged and the loss amounts to Rs 20 thousand.
Sangareddy Superintendent of Police Rupesh told TNM that upon investigation they found that the violence was unrelated to the shoe-throwing incident and that the shoe-throwing did not involve Ibrahim.
A case has been registered under Sections 147 (Punishment for rioting), 148 (Rioting armed with a deadly weapon), 435 (Using fire or explosive with intent to cause damage) read with Section 149 (Every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
In an unrelated incident that took place at Morgi village in the same district, a Muslim youth named Abbas was paraded naked by a group of Hindu men. According to the mob, the youth made a provocative video in which he was seen disrespecting the saffron flag. Police arrived at the incident of the crime and registered a case.