Faizal Khan, who was arrested after offering namaz within the premises of Nandmahal temple in Nandgaon area in Mathura district’s Barsana, was granted bail by Allahabad High Court on December 18. Four people including Faizal Khan were booked by the Uttar Pradesh police for reading namaz in the temple premises after a complaint was registered.
Khan claimed that he offered namaz outside the temple with the consent of the priest
In his bail application, Faizal Khan said that on the day when he offered namaz in the temple, he had concluded his ‘Brij 84 Kosi Parikrama’ to spread the message of inter-faith harmony. Khan claimed that the head of the temple requested him to offer namaz inside the temple since the mosque was at a distance. However, the FIR claims that Khan and another accused read namaz inside the temple without the consent of the priest. Khan had moved the Magistrate Court, Chhata Tehsil on November 3 where his bail application was rejected. Later, he approached ADJ-02, Mathura District where his request for bail was again rejected through an order dated November 24.
Khan’s counsel submitted before the court that he was a ‘renowned activist’ who revived the Khudai Khidmatgar Movement in the country. He said that Khan had visited the temple in this connection and that he was offered prasad by the Chief Priest of the temple. Khan claimed that he did not enter the sanctum sanctorum of the temple and that he offered namaz outside the temple with the permission of the priest.
Khan had participated in anti-CAA protests
According to reports, Faizal Khan and three other entered the Nandmahal temple on October 29 where Faizal and Mohammed Chand read namaz and the other two recorded the video. All the four accused belong to a Delhi-based organisation called Khudai Khidmatgar founded by Khan. Faizal Khan had also participated in the anti-CAA protests in Shaheen Bagh and at several other locations. His organisation had also supported the anti-CAA protests spreading misinformation about the law. Khan and the other three were booked by the police under Sections 153-A, 295, and 505 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).