Eight including seven faculty members booked for allegedly forcing students to offer Namaz in Chhattisgarh
RAIPUR: Seven faculty members and a student leader have been booked for allegedly forcing students of Bilaspur-based Guru Ghasidas Central University to offer namaz (Islamic prayer) during the National Service Scheme (NSS) camp organised in the district.
The incident occurred on March 31 during the special camping program held in the Kota block from March 26 to April 1 this year.
A total of 159 students participated in various community service activities during the event. After their return, several students alleged that a program officer and a coordinator had forced them to offer namaz on the day of Eid (March 31).
As protests grew, the university formed a three-member committee to investigate the allegations.
Some students also filed a complaint at the Koni police station in Bilaspur, demanding action against the program officer, coordinator, and other teachers involved. Some students claimed that after protesting against performing namaz, they were allegedly threatened with being denied certificates.
A police inquiry was initiated after students returning from the camp protested, and right-wing outfits also held demonstrations demanding action.
The Bilaspur Senior Superintendent of Police, Rajnesh Singh, formed a four-member committee led by City Superintendent of Police, Akshay Sabadra, to conduct the investigation. The report was submitted to the SSP on Saturday.
According to the Bilaspur police, as many as 159 students were allegedly forced to offer namaz during the camp at Shivtarai village in Kota, although only four of them were Muslims.
The police have registered a case against Professor Dilip Jha, Madhulika Singh, Jyoti Verma, Neeraj Kumari, Prashant Vaishnav, Suryabhan Singh, and Basant Kumar, all teachers at the Central University, as well as the team leader-cum-student, Ayushmann Choudhary. They have been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including Sections 196, 197, 299, 302, and 190, as well as Section 4 of the Chhattisgarh Religious Freedom Act.
“We will continue our investigation into the incident,” the SSP said.