Uttar Pradesh: Madrasa student sets fire to a Hindu-owned shop in Meerut, arrested after video goes viral

A shocking incident has come to light in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, where a madrasa student set fire to a clothing shop owned by a Hindu in broad daylight. The accused was taken into custody by the police after being identified through CCTV footage.

The incident occurred on November 12, 2026, in the Mohalla Munnalal area of ​​Mawana town in Meerut at ‘Krishna Saree Showroom’ owned by Ajay Kumar Sharma. He was at the shop when suddenly some clothes hanging outside the shop caught fire around 1:15 pm. The shopkeeper and some people present nearby rushed to douse the fire. They managed to extinguish the fire in time before it could spread to the entire shop.

Later, the shopkeeper examined the footage of a CCTV camera installed nearby. The CCTV footage showed a Muslim boy setting fire to the clothes hanging outside the shop while passing by. The accused was identified from the footage and was later caught near the Islamia Madrasa in Mawana. He was subsequently handed over to the police.

In a shocking case of hate crime, a 15-year-old madrassa student set on fire a Hindu-owned shop. While casually passing by, he burnt a dupatta with his lighter, causing the fire The culprit belongs to a community officially classified as a “minority” – a category entitled to special privileges, govt schemes and laws designed to protect it from “Hindu majority”

— Swati Goel Sharma (@swati_gs) November 13, 2026

The CCTV footage, which went viral on the internet, shows the accused deliberately setting fire to the shawls and dupattas hanging outside the shop on a busy street in a market. The visuals show him carrying a lighter that he used to light the fire and then walking away unbothered.

A complaint was filed by the shopkeeper with the police in connection with the incident. Based on his complaint, a case has been registered by the police. An investigation into the incident is underway. The Meerut Police confirmed the development through a social media post.

@akshay_vicky प्रकरण के सम्बन्ध में थाना मवाना पर सुसंगत धाराओ में अभियोग पंजीकृत किया गया। बाल अपचारी को पुलिस अभिरक्षा में लिया गया है। अग्रिम वैधानिक कार्यवाही प्रचलित है।

— MEERUT POLICE (@meerutpolice) November 13, 2026

Speaking about the incident, CO Pankaj Lavania said that the accused is a minor and that appropriate legal action will be taken against him.