Muezzin Muhammad Irfan speaking to reporters
The Muzaffarnagar police, on Friday, December 12, arrested Muhammad Irfan, a local muezzin, for allegedly threatening a police inspector.
The arrest was made after a video surfaced on social media showing 2-3 cops approaching Irfan exiting the mosque after giving the Fajr azaan (the first prayer of the day).
Irfan alleged that one of the police personnel, Inspector Vinod Choudhary, questioned on whose permission the former had given azaan. Irfan provided all legal documents and the required permit from the district administration. However, the officer threw the permission and spoke in a demeaning language.
“Azaan dene ka itna shauq hai toh Pakistan chale ja. Yaha pe tumhara koi kaam nahi hai” (If you love giving the Azaan so much, go to Pakistan. You do not have any place here),” the officer told Irfan.
After the video became viral, members of the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind filed a written complaint with the senior superintendent of police, demanding the immediate suspension of Inspector Choudhary and departmental action.
However, on Friday, Circle Officer Siddharth Mishra said Mohammad Irfan has been booked for obstructing and threatening a public servant. “We registered a case and arrested him after a video came to light in which Irfan is seen issuing threats to the police inspector in charge of the Kachchi Sadak outpost,” Mishra told reporters.
After the video surfaced online on Thursday, police initiated action and arrested him, officials added.
(With PTI inputs)
This post was last modified on December 12, 2025 9:11 pm