A picture of Naib Tehsildar Ashish Gupta praying in a mosque has gone viral, creating a stir in the Hamirpur district of Uttar Pradesh. The controversy deepened as it was revealed that Gupta had reportedly taken a Muslim woman as his second wife after converting to Islam.
The incident unfolded in the Maudaha Police Station area, where Ashish Gupta had been regularly attending prayers at the mosque for two days, attempting to conceal his true identity by introducing himself as Mohammed Yusuf from Kanpur. The mosque management became suspicious and alerted the authorities, leading Tehsildar Balram Gupta to personally investigate the matter.
Muhammad Mushtaq, a cleric at the mosque, stated, “We alerted the authorities after he claimed to be Mohammed Yusuf, a Kanpur resident and Naib Tehsildar of Maudaha. The Tehsildar arrived last night to inquire about the same. All of the witnesses’ statements have been documented and signed by the investigating officer.”
Ashish Gupta, who has been posted in the region since September 2, 2023, had not visited the mosque since the controversy surfaced. Contrary to his claimed identity, it was revealed that he is Nayab Tehsildar Ashish Gupta, a resident of Kanpur district, already married with two children. Gupta had recently converted to Islam to marry a Muslim woman from Maudha and had started attending prayers at the Kachariya Baba mosque.
Former District Coordinator of Bajrang Dal, Ashish Singh, stated that strict action is demanded from the administration. Investigating officer Balram Gupta mentioned that Ashish Gupta had been at the mosque for two days and discussed learning Urdu during his visit. However, Gupta denied knowledge of the matter related to Namaz.
Additional District Magistrate Arun Mishra confirmed that a probe has been initiated. Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Rajesh Mishra stated that a cleric from the mosque reported the issue on the evening of December 25. The investigation, ongoing at present, involves the Tehsildar and other police personnel. The offender admitted to visiting the mosque to study Urdu, and a comprehensive report will be submitted to higher authorities as the investigation progresses.
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