Was a Muslim Cleric Shot by Hindu Group in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut? No!

Meerut Police clarified on their X handle that both the victim and the accused belonged to the Muslim community.

Fact-Check | The video is being shared on the internet with a false communal angle.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

A video of an injured man lying on a hospital bed is being shared on the internet with a claim that it shows the Imam of Qasmi Masjid, who was shot while he was teaching Quran to children in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut.

What have users said?: An X (formerly Twitter) premium user shared the video with a caption that said, "UP, Meerut- Imam of Qasmi Masjid in Lisari Gate was shot inside the Masjid. Imam was making children recite the Quran when some youths entered the Masjid, shot him and fled after throwing away the gun. Imam Naeem's condition is very critical."

An archive of the post can be found here.

(Source: X/Screenshot)

The post had gained over a lakh views on the platform. Another user gave a communal angle to the incident claiming that the attackers were Hindus.

An archive of this post can be viewed here.

(Source: X/Screenshot)

(Archives of similar such claims can be found here and here.)

What are the facts?: There is no communal angle to the incident as confirmed by the Meerut Police. The victim named 'Mohammed Naeem' and the accused, 'Mohammed Sartaj', belonged to the same community.

News reports: Using the help of English keywords on Google, we came across a report published in the Times of India that mentioned a 30-year-old cleric being shot inside a mosque while teaching students in the Lisari Gate area.

• It said that the bullet grazed the back of Mohammed Naeem's ear.

• As per the SSP Meerut Vipin Tada, the accused was named 'Mohammed Sartaj', who was said to be mentally ill. Both the victim and accused knew each other.

• The report further said that Naeem had treated Sartaj previously for the latter's habit of forgetting. However, later, Sartaj attacked Naeem and fled leaving his firearm.

The report was published on 6 October.

(Source: TOI/Screenshot)

What did the police say?: The official X handle of Meerut police, in a statement, said that the incident took place on 6 October near the Lisari Gate area.

• It mentioned that a person named 'Naeem' was fired at by another man named 'Sartaj'.

• The statement clarified that both the parties involved belonged to the Muslim community. It added that the victim had been admitted to the hospital for treatment.

Conclusion: It is clear that the incident is being shared with a false communal colour.

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