A police complaint has been filed against five individuals, two of whom have been apprehended, for allegedly attacking a family and torching their house months after they had converted to Hinduism from Islam in Rae Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh. The police and the fire brigade team were able to douse the fire on time and save the family who were trapped inside the house.
Police have been deployed in the area.
Mohammed Anwar, resident of Ataganj Ratason village in the Salon area of Rae Bareilly, had converted to Hinduism in September of last year, and had changed his name to Dev Prakash. He had also renamed his children as Devnath, Deendayal and Durga. According to reports, Dev Prakash lives alone with his kids after the death of his first wife. He has married four times but his subsequent marriages did not work out.
Dev Prakash has alleged that former village pradhan Mohammed Tahir and his associates were upset with him for converting to Hinduism. He has further alleged that Tahir and his brother Rehan were the ones who set fire to his house. Dev Prakash also said that he was planning to build a temple on his land next to his house, and that this decision had angered some people.
Shlok Kumar, SP Rae Bareilly, has said that Tahir, Rehan and three others have been charged with mischief by fire or explosive substance and rioting. “Preliminary probe suggests that Prakash and Tahir also had a dispute over a piece of land. We are probing the case from all angles. Tahir and his brother have been detained and are being questioned,” he said.
After the incident was reported, leaders of Hindu Yuva Vahini reached the spot and took cognisance of the situation.