Disputes involving two Muslim groups to offer namaz at a mosque in Egra, East Midnapore took a violent turn so much so that the Calcutta High Court had to intervene and direct the West Bengal police to take control of the mosque.
The matter involves two groups of Muslims who had an altercation over the issue of namaz timings. The dispute reached the doors of the High Court and on the 7th of November, the court asked both the groups to offer namaz at different times to resolve the dispute. However, this instruction of the court was ignored by both the groups which led to the conflict taking a far more violent turn.
On the 13th of November, a violent clash broke out between the two groups which resulted in the death of one and left eight others critically injured. Three FIRs were registered following the clash, and two individuals were arrested on suspicion of inciting violence.
In response, during a hearing on the 20th of November, the High Court ordered the mosque to be placed under police control, with entry and activities at the premises strictly monitored by the inspector in charge of the Egra police station. The court warned that any further violence could lead to a complete ban on offering namaz at the mosque, stressing that “no one should die over a religious matter.”
Justice Tirthankar Ghosh hearing the case said “Religion involves sentiment, consciousness, and emotions. If any of these factors are exceeded, hatred arises out of that. Above all is humanity. This is interference with the administration of justice. The mosque should be taken over by police, and entry to it would be subject to the approval of the inspector in charge of Egra police station,”
The core issue reportedly involved a claim of ownership by one group, which another group contested, alleging they were being prevented from offering prayers. The court urged the district administration to convene a meeting to address the root cause of the dispute and foster reconciliation.