Tension prevailed at Melapalayam after the police allegedly entered a mosque to pick up five Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamaath (TNTJ) functionaries, who were allegedly involved in a scuffle with law-enforcers on Monday evening.
Problem started when a cargo auto knocked down a two-wheeler carrying TNTJ’s administrative committee chairman M. Shamsul Luha Rahmani and his son S. Usama at Melapalayam on Monday evening.
As Mr. Luha and Mr. Usama sustained bleeding injuries, a few TNTJ functionaries, who were standing in the vicinity, allegedly assaulted the cargo auto driver. Mr. Luha lost his iPhone in the melee.
Sub-Inspector of Police Shaik Abubucker, who was posted at the Melapalayam junction as part of the routine bandobust, warned the TNTJ cadres against attacking the driver and asked them to file a complaint if they wanted to initiate any lawful action against him.
As the TNTJ functionaries picked up heated argument with the police officer, other policemen tried to nab them and one of the party cadre, who was recording the argument on his mobile phone.
Though they managed to escape from the spot and entered Masjid-Ur-Rahman near the Melapalayam police station, five of them were arrested from the place of worship, the TNTJ alleged.
“Even as the evening prayers were going on, the policemen entered the masjid without removing footwear, beat five TNTJ cadres including Maideen, Roshan and Usama and took them to an undisclosed destination. We are very much worried about their safety as they were beaten up black and blue. The police also seized the mobile phone with which the argument between the police and our cadres was recorded,” said Mr. Luha, who had to be administered sutures for his head injury he sustained in the accident.
When this news spread, a few hundred TNTJ cadres and members of other Jamaaths started assembling in front of Masjid-Ur-Rahman and the police too increased its strength.
Meanwhile, senior police officials denied entry into the mosque and added that the five persons detained were being interrogated at the Melapalayam police station. Deputy Commissioner of Police T.P. Suresh Kumar reached the spot with a police force to hold talks with the TNTJ office-bearers.
