Latif Khan, the accused (X)
On December 1, the Mahakal police station in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, apprehended a 60-year-old individual named Latif Khan for desecrating Hindu temples at Ramghat by urinating on them. The accused, a retired sanitation worker of the Ujjain Municipality, faced charges under section 295A of the IPC and was presented before a court before being remanded to jail. Preliminary police inquiries suggested that he appeared mentally unstable.
A video circulating from Ujjain’s Ramghat depicted a devotee from Delhi recounting an incident where, while walking with his family along the Ramghat banks, Latif Khan was observed urinating on the small Hindu temples situated there. When the devotee intervened, Latif Khan refused to desist. Subsequently, with the assistance of activists from Hindu organisations, he was apprehended and handed over to the Mahakal police station.
Ajay Varma, the in-charge of the Mahakal police station, stated, “We received a report about an elderly individual urinating at temples in the Ramghat area. A police team was dispatched to the location. Members of the Hindu organisation present at the scene claimed that the individual, identified as Latif Khan, was urinating on the temples, leading to their dissatisfaction. The arrested person, a 60-year-old resident of Fazalpura named Latif Khan, is the son of Fasal Khan. He was formerly employed as a cleaner in the municipal corporation until his retirement some time ago.”
Ajay Varma added, “When the police questioned Latif, his mental condition did not appear to be good. In this matter, a case was registered against the accused under section 295 A and he was presented in the court, from where he has been sent to jail.”
In July of this year, Ujjain Police apprehended three individuals with Islamic affiliations, including two minors, for engaging in disrespectful behaviour by spitting on the second Baba Mahakaal Procession. According to reports, a group of young men was observed spitting water on the procession as it traversed the Kharakuan Police Station area near the iron tank during its route along the Shipra River on the second Monday of the Sawan month. This area is predominantly Muslim.
Despite requests from the devotees to cease their actions, the individuals persisted. Devotees documented the incident by capturing videos as evidence of the offensive behaviour. Subsequently, after the completion of the procession, activists from Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal approached the police station and filed a complaint under Sections 295A, 153A, 296, and 505 of the Indian Penal Code.
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