Urdu teacher asked to chant 'Jai Shri Ram' in Ghaziabad society; one arrested

Ghaziabad, Oct 24 (PTI) An Urdu teacher visiting a housing society here for private tuition was allegedly forced out of the complex by a group of men who heckled him and reportedly asked him to chant "Jai Shri Ram", police said on Thursday.

The key accused in the case, identified as Manoj Kumar who lives in the society located in the Crossings Republik township, has been arrested, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Wave City), Lipi Nagaich, said.

According to the police, Mohammad Alamgir, who regularly visits the society to teach a student at a flat on the 16th floor, was intercepted by Kumar and other residents on Tuesday.

They allegedly raised "Jai Shri Ram" slogans and asked Alamgir to do the same. When he refused, Kumar became aggressive and blocked his entry into the elevator, the ACP said.

The situation escalated as more residents joined the confrontation, repeatedly pressuring Alamgir to chant "Jai Shri Ram".

A security guard and some other residents intervened to pacify the situation but the group allegedly continued to intimidate Alamgir and eventually forced him to leave the society, the officer said.

Alamgir later lodged a police complaint detailing his ordeal without explicitly mentioning that he was forced to chant "Jai Shri Ram", which he told the police verbally, Nagaich said, adding that Kumar has been booked under sections 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), and 351(2) (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). PTI