Several Muslim youths were arrested in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur, allegedly for waving the Palestinian flag after Eid prayers.
A video of the incident, which took place at Ghanta Ghar, has gone viral on social media.
The footage shows a group of young Muslim men holding both Indian and Palestinian flags while chanting slogans in support of Palestine.
Based on the video, police registered a case and launched an investigation.
Saharanpur SP City Vyom Bindal said the video, which surfaced on social media, showed a group of youths waving a foreign flag and raising slogans. He added that authorities have taken note of the incident and are pursuing further action.
Maktoob spoke to the families of those arrested in Janak Nagar, who claimed their sons had no involvement in the demonstration and were taken by police without justification.
Among those detained was 40-year-old Falak, who was arrested from his home. His mother, Akbari, accused the police of misconduct. “Around 2 p.m., 15 to 20 officers stormed into our house, where only women and children were present. When I questioned them, they misbehaved with us. There were no female officers, nor did they have a warrant,” she said.
She added that Falak had just returned from offering prayers when police took him away. The family provided CCTV footage showing officers entering their home.
Another arrested youth, 21-year-old Uzaif, was taken from his house while he was asleep.
His father, Naseem, recounted the incident. “Around 1 p.m., police officers arrived and woke him up, asking him to identify the boys seen in the video. When he told them he didn’t recognize anyone, they took him away without any explanation,” he said.
Another parent shared a similar account. “The police arrived asking for my son. The moment I called him, they took him away without offering any explanation,” the parent said.
Families repeatedly visited the police station seeking information but received no answers.
Later in the evening, they were told that the youths had been booked under Section 151 of the CrPC and were asked to leave.
So far, police have not provided a copy of the FIR to the families or their lawyers. Further details are awaited, and this report will be updated as more information becomes available.
