A muezzin in Muzaffarnagar’s Sarwat locality has alleged that he was verbally abused and physically assaulted by police personnel outside a mosque on Wednesday morning, prompting public anger after CCTV footage of the incident began circulating online.
Muhammad Irfan, who serves as the muezzin at Medina Masjid, said he had stepped out of the mosque after morning prayers when officers from the Sarwat police outpost confronted him regarding the use of the mosque’s loudspeaker. According to Irfan, the officers used derogatory language and made remarks that he said were offensive to religious sentiments.
“I informed them that we have valid written permission from the district administration for the loudspeaker. Despite that, they continued to hurl abuses. When I protested, they started hitting me,” Irfan told reporters, adding that the altercation was captured by a CCTV camera installed outside the mosque.
Once the footage surfaced on social media, several members of Muslim organisations visited Irfan to show solidarity. A delegation later met the Senior Superintendent of Police and filed a formal complaint, demanding action against the personnel involved.
Residents of the area say the video leaves little ambiguity about the conduct of the officers and are urging the administration to take swift and transparent action. As of now, district authorities have not released an official response to the allegations.
