Recently the Madhya Pradesh High Court granted bail to the now 18-year-old Adnan Mansoori, a Muslim teenager from Madhya Pradesh. He was caught by the police after claims that he had spat on a Hindu procession went viral. Adnan’s house too was demolished after he was accused of spitting on the procession and arrested. However, the high court has now ruled that there is insufficient evidence in the case, with the witnesses turning hostile, The court’s decision arrived about 151 days after Adnan’s arrest on December 15 after the court noted that both the complainants and the witnesses had turned hostile.
The incident took place on July 17, 2023 after which it had led to the arrests of three people which included two minors. The accused were charged with spitting on Mahakal ki Sawari, a Hindu religious procession which was reportedly passing by their residence. The arrests were reportedly made on the basis of a complaint filed by one Sawan Lot who alleged that Adnan and the two other minors had offended religious sentiments by spitting on the procession. Lot claimed to have submitted videos of the incident as evidence. However, during the court proceedings, the witnesses, including Lot and his friend Ajay Khatri, have decried the claims made in the FIR. Furthermore, Lot has stated in a written statement to the judicial magistrate, that he was misquoted by the police who he claims coerced him into signing papers about which he had no clue. Lot further stated that he was unaware of what was written in the FIR. Ajay Khatri, the other key witness has been claiming that he was one of 40-50 individuals taken to the police station where he signed papers without knowledge of their contents. He also similarly stated that he did not witness the incident and could not identify the accused. A report by the NewsLaundry has noted that both Khatri and Lot are associated with the BJP.
Furthermore, according to news reports, after the arrest last year the authorities in Ujjain had gone forth and reportedly demolished the three-story home owned by Ashraf Hussain Mansoori, the father of the Adnan. Therefore, the house was demolished and was subjected to a disturbing display of cheers and drumbeats from a crowd which had gathered to witness the demolition. The demolition rendered Mansoori’s family, as well as several of those families who rented in the building, homeless. The building and the ground floor shop also served as the family’s sole source of livelihood. The family is now forced to make ends meet after the demolition.
Meanwhile, a report by NewsLaundry attests that the Vishwa Hindu Parishad is not happy with the witnesses turning hostile in the case and has expressed its dissatisfaction with the proceedings.
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