Namaz at vacant house and widow’sconsent revives 30yo row in Bareilly

Meerut: A day after police took preventive action against 12 people under section 170 of BNS for offering prayers on the rooftop of an empty house in Bareilly's Mohammadganj village, the owner of the house — Reshma Khan, a widow — said she had given her consent for the prayers to be held in her vacant residence."There was no other place, and the house was lying vacant. People usually offer namaz in other vacant houses of families who have moved away. Now, I am being pressured not to allow prayers at home," she said.The controversy, however, is not new and dates back nearly three decades.In March 1995, villagers had approached the Bareilly SP, alleging that members of the minority community were attempting to offer prayers on gram sabha land. A copy of the complaint is with TOI. Village elders now claim that the dispute was resolved through consensus, under which it was agreed that "neither a temple nor a mosque would be constructed in the village in future".On Jan 16, 2026, a group from the minority community again gathered to offer prayers at the vacant place. A video of the Friday prayers was shared with local authorities along with a complaint alleging that the house was being converted into a 'madrassa', prompting police action.Bareilly police said they received the complaint during Tehsil Diwas and took preventive measures to maintain law and order.ASP Anshika Verma said, "They were trying to convert the house into a madrassa without permission. Other communities raised an alert, which is why they were brought to police station and challaned."