(Trigger Warning: This article mentions dreadful violence and contains disturbing photographs)
Mariyam Usmani, TwoCircles.net
Mohammad Firoz (37) from Kataia village in Bihar’s Madhubani district was traveling home on January 29 when a few policemen allegedly stopped him at Mohammadpur bridge in Benipatti area. The early-morning incident during a routine vehicle-check turned into a nightmare, as the Station House Officer (SHO) deployed reportedly thrashed the cleric. He was forcefully taken into custody, where he was allegedly beaten black and blue once again.
Recounting in excruciating details after getting released from the police custody, he said what followed was a sequence of events that would haunt him for days or even years — the forceful detention and the physical and emotional trauma.
“Gaurav Kumar, a trainee DSP (deputy superintendent of police) and station incharge, flung his baton on my bike. I asked him to behave politely, but he slapped me on my face. He pulled my beard, and within blink of an eye, constables pushed me in a police van,” he narrated, showing viral photographs of deep wounds on his body.
He alleged he was kept in a dark room and assaulted repeatedly till he became unconscious. The constables, according to him, not only thrashed him but also snatched his wallet, cell phone, his motor bike’s keys and hurled Islamophobic slurs to disgrace his Muslim identity.
“I thought that they would release me, but they shoved me into an eerie room. Gaurav Kumar forcefully kicked my chair. I fell on the floor. I was punched and beaten like an animal. I felt perplexed and helpless,” he recounted the horror.
Educated at Madrasa Subhania in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj district, formerly Allahabad, Firoz began his journey as an imam (one who leads prayers in mosques) when he was just 17. He is now a father to two young children who love to visit their maternal grandparents. On the day of the incident, he was returning from his in-laws’ place for home. His mother was at a relative’s place in Mumbai.
He alleged that after knowing his religion and profession, he was called a “terrorist” and a “mulla” (a derogatory word used against Muslims). The officials also allegedly threatened that they would thrash him in front of his parents, other family members and the entire (Muslim) community of the locality.
“Cops said that even if I prayed to Allah, God would not save me. I was persistently requesting them to describe the reasons, but they brazenly used derogatory words that I am even embarrassed to recall now,” he said.
The imam described the insulting episodes in a broken voice while mourning over the tragic death of his beloved father in December 2024.
‘No Water, No Phone’
However, the torment did not stop with verbal abuse. Firoz alleged that he was locked in a dark room, denied water and prevented from contacting his family. He was left for hours in physical pain and psychological distress.
“I was begging for a glass of water, but they tossed bottles on the floor to mock me. They even threatened me with further humiliation, telling me they would force me to drink urine,” he recalled.
It was only when Firoz found a pen and a scrap of paper in the room that he was able to reach out for help. “I wrote down a contact number and threw the paper out of the window. A stranger, like an angel sent by Allah, found it and helped me,” he said, overwhelmed by the kindness of the person unknown to him.
After hours of waiting in despair, Firoz was allowed to call his family. His relatives were informed that he was at the police station, but no one could explain the hours of terror he had endured in captivity. After a payment of Rs 25,000, he was released around 9 pm, but the emotional scars of the day remained.
Firoz expressed his fear and anguish. “They told me to keep my mouth shut,” he said. “They threatened, ‘Who are we to you? Your grandfather?’” The words still echo in his mind.
While talking to twocircles.net, he sounded terrified because he was allegedly instructed to “keep mum”.
The incident drew attention, particularly after the photographs of his injuries and a clip went viral on social media. Local journalist Sadaf Kamran called the incident deeply troubling. The shift, he noted, from what was once a relatively calm region to a place where anti-Muslim sentiment was now a glaring reality. The videos sparked fierce backlash, with many questioning the intentions behind the police’s actions.
Madhubani’s Superintendent of Police Yogendra Kumar, admitted only two things: the denial of water to the detainee and the failure to inform his family about his detention. However, on the matter of targeted abuse and harassment, the administration remained tight-lipped. He suspended five cops posted at the police station and transferred the SHO.
“I want to know why the police have not explained the hours of torture he (Firoz) went through. Why only focus on the footage of his arrival and departure? What happened in between?” Firoz’s brother-in-law, Shafique, an active regional politician, demanded answers.
“We did not receive any information about the targeted harassment for several hours. We were just informed that Firoz is at the police station. I asked local leaders and the MLA to contact the department” he said.
He said Firoz is still trying to overcome the horrible psychological repercussions of the incident after getting treatment in a nearby private hospital.
The case took another twist when political leaders from various parties rallied behind Firoz. Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejaswi Yadav raised the issue with Bihar’s Governor Aarif Mohammed Khan, but the family remains in suspense, awaiting justice.
SHO Sunil Kumar was appointed to the Benipatti police station, though when contacted, he could only offer vague responses. “I have been here for just five days and do not have enough details.”