Daijiworld Media Network – Aligarh

Aligarh, Oct 31: Nearly a week after communal tension gripped two villages in Aligarh district when religious slogans about the Prophet were found written on the walls of four temples, police on Thursday arrested four local men in connection with the incident.

Senior Superintendent of Police Neeraj Kumar Jadaun identified the arrested as Jishant Kumar, Aakash, Dileep Kumar, and Abhishek Saraswat, all residents of Aligarh. Police also recovered a spray can used to write the slogans. Another accused, Rahul, is still absconding.

According to the SSP, the accused were tracked down using CCTV footage, call records, old case histories, and even spelling errors in the slogans. “They had written different spellings for the Prophet’s name — like ‘Mohmad’ and ‘Muhmad’. They are not educated people,” said Lodha SHO Ankit Kumar.

Investigations revealed that Jishant Kumar masterminded the act to frame a man named Mustaqeem, with whom he had a past altercation and ongoing FIR disputes. Jishant enlisted his friends Aakash, Dileep, and Abhishek for help, while Rahul, who also had a property dispute with Mustaqeem, joined the plan.

“Their intention was to frame Mustaqeem,” confirmed SSP Jadaun.

On October 25, police received reports that religious slogans were written on temple walls in Bhagwanpur and Bulaqigarh villages under Lodha police limits. As outrage grew among residents, an FIR was filed against seven unidentified persons under Sections 299 (outraging religious feelings) and 351 (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Forensic and surveillance teams were deployed to examine CCTV footage and prevent any communal disturbance. Heavy police force was stationed in the villages to ensure peace and stability.

The incident came weeks after violent protests in Bareilly over the “I Love Muhammad” posters controversy, prompting authorities to take swift measures to preserve communal harmony across western Uttar Pradesh.