Four held for writing religious slogans on temple walls to frame Muslim man

Four individuals have been arrested by the Lodha police in Aligarh for allegedly writing religious slogans on temple walls in an attempt to falsely implicate a Muslim man following a personal dispute, officials said on Thursday.

The accused Jishant Kumar, Aakash Saraswat, Dilip Kumar, and Abhishek Saraswat, all residents of Bulkagadhi and Bhagwanpur villages under Lodha police station limits were taken into custody in connection with Case No. 303/2025 under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the CLA Act. Police also recovered spray cans allegedly used to write the slogans.

According to police, the incident took place on October 25, when communal slogans, including those invoking the Prophet, were found inscribed on the walls of temples in Bulkagadhi and Bhagwanpur villages. Initial reports suggested an attempt to stoke communal tension in the area.

A detailed investigation revealed that Jishant Kumar, one of the accused, had a prior altercation with a local man named Mustaqeem, who had filed a complaint against him earlier in September. To exert pressure and falsely implicate Mustaqeem, Jishant and his associates allegedly wrote the slogans to make it appear as though members of the Muslim community were responsible.

“The accused tried to mislead the investigation and create communal disharmony by staging the act,” a senior police officer said in  the official statement. “All four have been arrested, and further legal proceedings are underway.”

Police also stated that one more person, Rahul, son of Mukesh, a resident of Bhagwanpur, who is also wanted in connection with the case, remains absconding.