MT Desk: In Madhya Pradesh’s Khandwa district, police have registered a case against Mohammad Hanif, president of a mosque committee in Kharkala village, for allegedly failing to inform authorities about an outsider, Akhtar Raza, staying on mosque committee premisesRaza, a Bihar resident, was temporarily appointed as the mosque’s imam to lead prayers, with plans for a permanent.
role pending committee approval. The case against Hanif was filed under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for contempt of a public servant’s order, as district rules mandate reporting outsiders’ stays to police.
Hanif clarified to Maktoob that Raza, on probation, resided in a space allocated by the committee, not inside the mosque. “We planned to submit his documents once his permanent appointment was confirmed,” Hanif said, adding that all documents have now been submitted to the police, including details of Raza’s extended family.
Raza, appointed a month ago, explained the delay in verification stemmed from uncertainty about his permanent status. He noted his family briefly visited but returned to Bihar due to the lack of rented accommodation, and he currently shares committee-provided space with others.
Locals, including resident Mehboob Khan, allege the FIR reflects attempts by right-wing groups to disrupt Kharkala’s communal harmony. Tensions flared during recent Eid Milad-un-Nabi and Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, with Hindu nationalist groups objecting to the Eid procession’s traditional route through Hindu-majority areas.
Khan emphasized that the village, with a 70:30 Hindu-Muslim population ratio, has historically shared procession routes without issue. “They carried out the Ganesh procession through Muslim areas, and no one objected. Now they’re making everything communal,” he told Maktoob.
Khandwa Police confirmed two separate disputes during the celebrations, with FIRs filed in both cases. Superintendent of Police Manoj Kumar Rai stressed that informing police about outsiders is mandatory, and violations invite strict action.
The case against Hanif is under investigation, raising concerns about communal tensions and administrative oversight in Kharkala, where traditional coexistence faces challenges from recent disputes.