FIR against unidentified persons for offering namaz at Lucknow's Lulu Mall

Police have lodged an FIR against a group of unidentified people who allegedly offered namaz at the recently opened Lulu Mall in Lucknow after a right-wing Hindu outfit objected to it and sought permission to recite the Hanuman Chalisa there.

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They have been booked for promoting enmity between different groups and intending to outrage religious feelings.

The case has been registered on the complaint of the Lulu Mall representatives, who claimed that people seen in the video were not their staff members. The mall authorities have also put up notices across the property on Friday declaring, “No religious prayers will be permitted in the mall.”

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Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Gopal Krishna Choudhary said, “An FIR under IPC Sections 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups) and 295-A (deliberate act intended to outrage religious feelings) was lodged on Thursday (July 15) against unidentified persons. The matter is currently being investigated.”

The mall was inaugurated by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday (July 10) and has been opened by Abu Dhabi-based Lulu Group, led by Indian-origin billionaire Yusuff Ali M A.

A controversy had broken out following a video purportedly showing a group of people offering namaz at the mall surfaced on social media.

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Some members of the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha reached outside the gates of the mall on Thursday (July 14) and staged a protest. Members of the group also sought permission from the local authorities to recite the Hanuman Chalisa near the mall on Friday (July 15). The permission was declined by the authorities.

(With inputs from agencies)