An Urdu teacher providing private tuition in Ghaziabad’s Crossings Republik was allegedly heckled and abused by a resident, who forced him to chant “Jai Shri Ram.” The incident, which took place in a common area of the society, has led to the arrest of the accused.
Manoj Kumar, a 36-year-old businessman, was arrested by police on Wednesday after the incident. He has been charged under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for wrongful restraint and intentional insult, among other offenses. During police questioning, Kumar reportedly stated that he was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the altercation.
The teacher, identified as Mohammad Alamgir, reported that the verbal attack began when he was waiting for the elevator on the ground floor of the Panchsheel Wellington society. He claimed that Kumar approached him aggressively and insisted that he chant “Jai Shri Ram.”
According to Alamgir, when he refused to comply, Kumar’s behavior became increasingly hostile. Kumar allegedly pushed him out of the elevator on the first floor and questioned his presence in the society, remarking, “Musalman kabse aane lage is society mein” (since when have Muslims started coming to this society?).
Alamgir also stated that another resident joined in the harassment, blocking his access to the 16th floor. The situation escalated when Kumar demanded Alamgir to chant “Jai Shri Ram” again after he contacted his student’s parents. When he did not respond, Kumar and another resident became aggressive, dragging him back to the ground floor.
The situation was eventually diffused by a security guard and a third resident, who advised Alamgir to leave the society. He departed without conducting his class.
An FIR has been filed against Kumar under several sections of the BNS, including 126(2) for wrongful restraint, 352 for intentional insult aimed at provoking a breach of peace, and 351(2) and 351(3) for criminal intimidation, as confirmed by Wave City ACP Lipi Nagayach.
