Muslim youth beaten at Mahakal temple after Aadhaar check:Had Tripund and ‘Mahakal’ on forehead; queued for Bhasma Aarti

In a shocking incident, a 26-year-old Muslim man was allegedly assaulted by a group of people while waiting in line to attend the Bhasma Aarti at the Shree Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain. Police intervened and escorted him to safety after the incident. A video of the alleged assault later surfaced on social media and quickly went viral. According to police, the incident occurred at around 2 AM on the intervening night of June 16 and 17. The man, identified as Sarfaraz Sheikh, a resident of Pimpri in Pune, had travelled to Ujjain with a Hindu woman for temple darshan. The pair were standing in a queue near Harsiddhi Square to attend the moving Bhasma Aarti when the incident unfolded. Police said Sarfaraz had “Mahakal” written on his forehead and was wearing a traditional sandalwood Tripund (three horizontal forehead marks). Bajrang Dal checked Aadhaar, triggered confrontation While they were standing in the queue, some members of the Bajrang Dal reportedly became suspicious and asked to see the man’s Aadhaar card. After checking the document and learning that the man belonged to the Muslim community, an argument broke out. According to eyewitness accounts cited by police, several people became agitated, and the situation escalated into an alleged physical assault. Witnesses said the man repeatedly pleaded to be let go, but the commotion continued, creating panic among other devotees waiting in line. Video shared on social media People present at the scene recorded videos of the incident on their mobile phones and shared them on social media, where the footage quickly circulated. Police await formal complaint Mahakal police station in-charge Gagan Badal said officers brought the man to safety and questioned him about the incident. According to police, neither party has submitted a written complaint so far. As a precautionary measure, the families of both the man and the woman have been called to Ujjain. Officials said further action will be taken in accordance with the law if a formal complaint is filed.