Ujjain, February 17 – A young man wearing a dhoti-kurta, a "tilak" (forehead mark) on his forehead, and a rudraksha mala (prayer beads) around his neck, offered prayers at the Mahakal temple in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. However, what surprised everyone was that he was a Muslim youth, who allegedly concealed his religious identity.
The shocking incident came to light when members of the Bajrang Dal caught the youth from a hotel where he was staying with his Hindu female friend, police said on Tuesday.
The couple had come from Mohali in Punjab to offer prayers at the Mahakal temple on Monday.
A video surfaced on social media showing the young man surrounded by Bajrang Dal activists.
The Muslim youth said he was in a relationship with Renu, which is why he wore the dhoti-kurta and applied the tilak to hide his religious identity. He added that he did this for his girlfriend, Renu.
The young man's real name is Zafar Khan.
The Bajrang Dal activists allegedly assaulted the young man for concealing his religious identity and then handed him over to the Nanakheda police in Ujjain.
Rishabh Kushwaha, who identified himself as a member of the Bajrang Dal, told media persons that he had received information that a couple from Punjab was staying at a hotel in Ujjain.
After waiting outside the hotel for nearly an hour, the Bajrang Dal activists caught the young man and stopped him.
"The man initially identified himself as a Hindu, but later revealed his real name as Zafar Khan. The hotel staff suspected his religious identity because he did not submit his ID card at the hotel reception," Kushwaha said.
He also said that the woman was aware of the young man's identity and that they were in a relationship.
The couple visited the Mahakal temple, the Harsiddhi temple, and the Kaal Bhairav temple in Ujjain to offer their prayers.
Confirming the report of the incident, Ujjain Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), Guru Prasad Parashar, said that the couple had come from Mohali and were staying in a hotel, where they were caught by the Bajrang Dal activists.
"After verification, the young man was identified as Zafar Khan, a resident of Mohali in Punjab. The woman accompanying the young man also hails from Punjab and they are known to each other. Police have taken the young man into their custody and the necessary actions are being initiated," ASP Parashar said on Tuesday.