Letter threatens to blow up Bareilly's Shahi Jama Masjid, kill imam

BAREILLY: The imam of Shahi Jama Masjid located in the Quila area in Bareilly approached the police on Wednesday after a letter posted on the mosque's walls threatened to "blow it up in case the imam was not expelled". It also threatened to "gun him down". Imam Khurshid Alam said that he "did not have enmity with anyone". "This person seems to have sent the letter in a frenzy," he said. Meanwhile, SP (city) Rahul Bhati said that the police were probing the matter and the CCTV footage of the area was being examined. "The culprit would be caught soon," he added. The threat was written in Hindi. It said, "There could be a bomb blast in the mosque on any Friday. Imam Khurshid Alam will be gunned down if he is not expelled."
Imam Alam said, "I was teaching at the madrassa when I received a call informing me about the letter. Whoever has done this should have at least kept in mind the dignity of the mosque before committing such mischief. The masjid is Allah's house and threatening to plant a bomb here is highly condemnable." He added that the secretary of the mosque committee had lodged a written complaint with the police. said. He has been working there since 2013.