Odisha: Madrasa teacher attacked with wooden pieces in eyes; 1 held

A madrasa teacher was allegedly attacked with pieces of wood in his eyes by a group of four men in Odisha’s Sambalpur district.

The attack took place on April 29. Qari Mohammad Riyaz, who hails from Bihar, was travelling to Kendujhar district on an official visit.

He arrived in Sambalpur via bus and was waiting in an auto rickshaw headed for Madarsa Faizan-e-Ali in the Motijharan area. There, he was working as a religious teacher.

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Speaking to The Observer Post, the madrassa teacher said that while waiting, the auto driver allegedly stepped away. “Soon after, I was approached by a few men who enquired where I was going. When I told them I was returning from Rourkela and heading back to Motijhira madrasa, they demanded to see my Adhaar card,” Riyas was quoted by the online media.

When Riyaz said he was a Bihari and did not speak Odiya, they started attacking him. “They called me a Pakistani, an aatankwadi (terrorist), and Mulla. I told them they were mistaken. I am from Bihar and I teach here. But they kept beating me,” he said.

The men allegedly attacked the madrassa teacher with sticks, wooden pieces, punched him and pulled his beard.

It was only after nearby Muslims intervened that Riyaz escaped. On information, police arrived and took him to the station. Based on his complaint, an FIR was lodged under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.

One of the attackers, Kamal Lochan Pujari, has been arrested by the police. Further investigations are on.

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