A 20-year-old man was tied to a pole and set ablaze following a dispute over where to offer prayers inside a mosque in Uttar Pradesh’s Badaun district. The victim, identified as Mehboob, survived the attack and is currently receiving treatment at a hospital, police said.
Dispute Inside Mosque Preceded the Attack
The incident took place on Friday morning in the Sahaswan Road area, a day after tensions emerged at a mosque in Mustafabad locality under the Islamnagar Nagar Panchayat.
According to the police, the dispute began on Thursday when Mehboob and three other men from the same neighbourhood engaged in an argument over the appropriate place to pray within the mosque. The disagreement was initially resolved after others present intervened.
However, the situation escalated the following morning when Mehboob returned to the mosque for early prayers.
Mehboob Tied to Pole and Set on Fire
According to NDTV, police officials said that once Mehboob stepped out of the mosque, three men allegedly overpowered him. They tied him to a pole using a rope, poured petrol over him, and set him on fire.
The ropes eventually burned through, allowing Mehboob to break free and run back home despite sustaining severe burn injuries. His family immediately took him to the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Rudayan. Doctors later referred him to a higher medical facility in Aligarh. Police confirmed that his condition is currently stable and no longer critical.
CCTV Footage Adds New Angle to Probe
Superintendent of Police (Rural) Hardesh Katheria stated that the police were alerted through the UP-112 emergency helpline.
He also revealed that investigators have obtained CCTV footage from a nearby petrol pump, which shows Mehboob purchasing petrol shortly before the incident.
“This evidence has led us to examine the case from all possible angles,” SP Katheria told NDTV. “The investigation is ongoing, and all versions are being verified.”
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
