A Muslim cleric was allegedly asked to take the name of Hindu god and beaten up by unidentified persons in Ranchi, Jharkhand, The Indian Expressreported today.
Azhar-ul-Islam, who lives in Nai Sarai in Dhurva, was returning home after administering prayers in Agdu village when he was stopped at the Daladali Chowk by a group of people armed with sticks and rods, according to the FIR which has been registered based on a complaint by his colleague, Imran.
In his complaint, Imran, who fled the scene and went to the police, said that an argument ensued after the assailants asked Islam to chant the name of a Hindu god and then they beat him up.
Islam, who was rushed to hospital, is reportedly out of danger.
A police has registered a case of attempt to murder against unidentified persons.
Officer-in-charge Ram Narayan Singh toldThe Indian Express, "The allegation that the victim was beaten up after being asked to chant a particular (God's) name is yet to be substantiated."
Earlier this year, a Muslim teenager was beaten to death in Ranchi after his request to lower volume of music turned into a fight. In 2017, a Muslim man, who was in a relationship with a Hindu girl, was tied to a pole and beaten to death in Jharkhand's Gumla district. In 2016, Muslim cattle traders were beaten to death in Ranchi and their bodies were found hanging from a tree.