Ujjain, Feb 17 (IANS) A youth donning dhoti-kurta and a ’tilak’ on his forehead along with wearing a rudraksha mala in his neck, offered his prayers at the Mahakal temple in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain. However, what came as a surprise was that he was a Muslim youth, who allegedly hid his religious identity.
The shocking turn of events was revealed when a group of Bajrang Dal members caught the youth from a hotel where he was staying with her female friend, who belongs to the Hindu community, police said on Tuesday.
The couple had come from Mohali in Punjab to offer prayers at the Mahakal temple here on Monday.
A video surfaced on the social media showed a youth surrounded by a group of Bajrang Dal activists.
The Muslim youth said he is currently in a relationship with Renu, which is why they had come to offer prayers at the Mahakal temple here.
The Muslim youth could be heard saying in the video that he wore dhoti-kurta and applied tilak on his forehead to hide his religious identity, adding that he did so for her girlfriend Renu.
The youth’s said his real name is Zafar Khan.
The Bajrang Dal activists allegedly assaulted the youth for concealing his religious identity and then handed him over to the Nanakheda police in Ujjain.
Rishabh Kushwaha, who identified himself as a Bajrang Dal member, told media persons that he received information that a couple from Punjab was staying at a hotel in Ujjain.
After waiting outside the hotel for nearly an hour, the Bajrang Dal activists caught the youth and stopped him.
“The man initially identified himself as a Hindu but later revealed his real name as Zafar Khan. His (the youth’s) religious identity was suspected by the hotel staff because he didn’t submit his ID card at the hotel reception,” Kushwaha said.
He also said the woman was aware of the youth’s identity and reportedly are in a relationship.
The couple visited the Mahakal temple, Harsiddhi temple, and Kaal Bhairav temple in Ujjain to offer their prayers.
Confirming the report of the incident, Ujjain Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), Guru Prasad Parashar, said that the couple had come from Mohali and were staying in a hotel, where they were caught by the Bajrang Dal activists.
“After verification, the youth was identified as Zafar Khan, a resident of Punjab’s Mohali. The woman accompanying the youth also hails from Punjab and are known to each other. Police have taken the youth into their custody and the necessary actions are being initiated,” ASP Parashar said on Tuesday.
–IANS
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