Mumbai Police Register Case for Derogatory Remarks on Islam

Mumbai, July 2 (PTI) — A case has been registered by the Mumbai police against four individuals for allegedly making objectionable remarks that hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims, officials reported on Wednesday. According to the police, these individuals purportedly made derogatory comments towards the caliphs of Islam.

The issue came to light when the president of the Raza Jama Mosque in Govandi, an eastern suburb of Mumbai, filed a complaint at the Dongri police station on Monday. This complaint was based on a video that had gone viral on social media.

As per the complaint, the video, initially brought to the mosque president's attention by a committee member on June 18, shows four persons passing disparaging comments about the three revered caliphs of Islam. Upon viewing the video, the complainant confirmed the allegations, describing it as a deliberate attempt to hurt the religious feelings of the Muslim community.

Investigations revealed that one of the accused, Sohail Mirza, is a resident of the same area as the complainant. It was also discovered that the video was recorded on June 15 outside the gate of Rahman Shah Baba Durgah.

The complaint mentions that Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique, Hazrat Umar ibn al-Khattab, and Hazrat Usman Ibn Affan are highly respected caliphs in Islam, representing love, respect, and faith for Muslims in India and worldwide. The accused allegedly intended to outrage these sentiments with their remarks.

Mirza and the three others have been charged under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology (IT) Act, according to the police.