An Urdu tutor who offers private lessons at a residential society in Ghaziabad's Crossings Republik was reportedly harassed by a resident in the common area and pressured to chant "Jai Shri Ram." The resident, identified as Manoj Kumar, was taken into custody by the police on Wednesday and is facing charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including wrongful restraint and intentional insult, among other offenses.
According to a report by The Times of India, Kumar, a 36-year-old businessman, admitted to the police during questioning that he was intoxicated when he confronted and harassed the tutor, Mohammad Alamgir.
Alamgir told the authorities that the incident occurred as he waited for the elevator on the ground floor of Panchsheel Wellington. He said that Kumar approached him without provocation and began questioning him. Alamgir explained that he was on his way to conduct an Urdu lesson at a flat on the 16th floor. At that point, Kumar allegedly demanded that he chant "Jai Shri Ram." Initially, Alamgir ignored the request, but Kumar persisted and grew more hostile, according to the police.
In his complaint, Alamgir stated that he remained silent during the interaction. However, when the elevator reached the first floor, Kumar allegedly pushed him out and called another resident over, making a comment along the lines of, "Since when have Muslims been coming to this society?" Alamgir further claimed that this second resident joined in abusing him and blocked him from proceeding to the 16th floor. Eventually, others intervened and urged him to leave the premises.
After calling the parents of his student, Alamgir alleged that Kumar again pressured him to chant "Jai Shri Ram." When Alamgir refused, both Kumar and another resident escalated the confrontation and led him back to the ground floor. At this point, a security guard and a third resident arrived, took down Alamgir’s contact details, and told him to leave. He ultimately left without conducting the lesson.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Lipi Nagayach of Wave City confirmed that an FIR has been registered against Kumar, with charges including Section 126(2) for wrongful restraint, Section 352 for intentional insult aimed at provoking a breach of peace, Section 351(2) for criminal intimidation, and Section 351(3) for criminal intimidation.