Pig carcass found inside Eidgah in Telangana’s Suryapet, FIR filed

Hyderabad: Police in Telangana’s Suryapet district have registered a case after the carcass of a pig was found inside an Eidgah in Basha Naik Tanda, an incident local Muslims say was meant to provoke communal tension during the month of Ramzan.

A first information report (FIR) was registered at the Suryapet Rural Police Station on Tuesday, March 3, by Md Inthiyaz, a 38-year-old businessman in the town. 

In his complaint, Inthiyaz stated that on Tuesday morning at around 10:30 am, he, along with two others, Yousuf and Vazid, went to clean the Eidgah located at Basha Naik Tanda. When they entered the premises, they found the dead body of a pig lying inside the prayer ground. 

The complainant alleged that an unidentified person had killed the pig and placed it inside the Eidgah deliberately to incite religious hatred during the ongoing month of Ramzan. Based on the complaint, Sub-Inspector N Balu Naik of Suryapet Rural Police Station registered a case under sections 192 (provocation with intent to cause riot) and 325 (mischief by killing or maiming animal) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and initiated an investigation. 

The case was registered against unknown persons and no arrests have been made so far.

Deliberate act to hurt religious sentiments: MBT

The incident drew condemnation from Majlis Bachao Tehreek (MBT) spokesperson Amjed Ullah Khan, who described it as a deliberate act intended to hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims.

In a statement on Wednesday, March 4, Khan said the Eidgah at Basha Naik Tanda is a walled prayer ground used by the local Muslim community. He alleged that the carcass of a pig had been brought and thrown inside the premises.

Khan said local Muslims approached the Suryapet Rural Police Station and filed a complaint, after which an FIR was registered. He criticised the police response to the incident, saying that nearly 24 hours had passed but those responsible had not been identified or arrested. 

He said the district police leadership, including the Deputy Superintendent of Police and the Superintendent of Police, should have visited the spot and ensured that the perpetrators were traced.

He also alleged that in such cases, authorities often clear the site quickly and attempt to suppress the issue instead of pursuing a thorough investigation. 

Claiming that communal incidents have increased in the state, the MBT chief said that since Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy assumed office in December 2023, at least 53 such incidents involving attacks on Muslims, mosques or madrasas have taken place in Telangana.

Khan said MBT has taken serious note of the Eidgah incident in Suryapet and demanded that those responsible be identified and arrested.

Police said an investigation into the incident is underway.