Lulu Mall Namaz Controversy: Local Court Grants Bail to All Six Arrested

The police had booked these people under 153A (1), 341, 505, and 295A of the Indian Penal Code.

Six People were arrested for offering Namaz at Lucknow's Lulu Mall.

(Photo: PTI)

Six people who had been arrested by the Uttar Pradesh police for offering Namaz inside Lulu mall in lucknow, have been granted bail by the Court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate.

The six accused who have been granted bail are Mohammad Adil, Mohammad Sayeed, Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Atif, Mohammad Rehan and Mohammad Luqman.

The bail is conditional to furnishing a personal bond of Rs 20,000 and two sureties each in the like amount to the satisfaction of the court, reported Live Law.

The arrests were been made after CM Adityanath on Monday directed the administration to act tough against elements “hell-bent on vitiating the atmosphere” in the state.

The police had booked these people under sections 153A (1), 341, 505, and 295A of the Indian Penal Code.

Lulu Mall Namaz Case

A video of people offering namaz at Lulu Mall had surfaced on social media on 13 July.

The incident kicked up a row after a right-wing Hindu outfit objected to the namaz being offered on the mall premises and sought permission to recite the Hanuman Chalisa there.

Some members of the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha staged a sit-in protest at the gate of Lulu Mall on 14 July.

Shishir Chaturvedi, who claimed to be the national spokesperson of the Mahasabha, had alleged that people belonging to a particular community were being allowed to offer prayers inside the mall.

The mall, belonging to Abu Dhabi based Lulu group, was inaugurated by Adityanath earlier this month in presence of senior party leaders.

The mall authorities should also allow Hindus and other religions to offer prayers inside the mall, he had said.

Sameer Verma, general manager of the mall in Lucknow, had issued a video statement after the controversy, saying, “Lulu Mall respects all religions. Any kind of religious work or prayer is not permitted here. We train our floor staff and security staff to keep an eye on such activities.”

'(This story contains inputs from Live Law.)