Namaz at Home Row: Allahabad High Court Orders Round-the-Clock Armed Security for House Owner

The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday directed the State to provide round-the-clock armed security to a Bareilly resident whose house was used for offering Namaz and ordered the district magistrate and senior superintendent of police of the district to remain present before it on the next date of hearing in a contempt matter.

A division bench of Justice Atul Sreedharan and Justice Siddharth Nandan passed the direction while hearing a writ petition filed by Tarik Khan concerning alleged interference by the district administration in offering Namaz inside a private residence in Mohammadganj village of Bareilly.

The controversy traces back to an incident on January 16, 2026, when a group of persons allegedly attempted to offer Namaz inside a private house. The petitioner alleged that the authorities prevented them from doing so despite the high court's order on January 27, 2026, in Maranatha Full Gospel Ministries vs State of U.P. and two others that religious prayer meetings could be conducted within private premises without requiring permission from the State, unless the gathering spills over into public spaces.

In February this year, the high court had issued contempt notices to Bareilly District Magistrate Avinash Singh and Senior Superintendent of Police Anurag Arya, observing that the allegations, if true, indicated non-compliance with its earlier order permitting religious prayer meetings on private property.

During the hearing on March 11, the court recorded the statement of Haseen Khan, the owner of the house where the Namaz was being offered.

Appearing before the bench in open court, Haseen Khan stated that he and his family were offering Namaz inside their home when police personnel took him away and issued a challan. He further alleged that later certain persons met him and threatened that if he did not speak in court according to their directions, his house would be demolished with a bulldozer.

He also told the court that he was taken outside the village and surrounded by police personnel, who allegedly compelled him to put his thumb impression on a written document which he could not read as he is illiterate.

On a specific query from the bench regarding whether permission had been sought for offering Namaz on the private property, Additional Advocate General Anoop Trivedi relied on the challan and submitted that permission had been sought from all persons present in the house, including the owner.

Court also noted that the district magistrate and senior superintendent of police of Bareilly are prospective contemnors in the proceedings.

It directed both officials to remain personally present before the court on the next date of hearing, when the bench indicated that it would deliver its judgment in the matter.

The bench further clarified that if the two officers fail to appear in person, their presence may be secured through the issuance of a non-bailable warrant.

During the hearing, Haseen Khan expressed apprehension about the safety of his family and property in view of the controversy surrounding the incident.

Taking note of this concern, court directed the State to provide him immediate security protection.

The bench ordered that two armed guards be deployed round the clock to protect Haseen Khan and that the guards accompany him wherever he goes until further orders of the court.

Court also observed that any incident of violence affecting him or his property would be prima facie presumed to have occurred at the instance of the State, though such presumption would remain open to rebuttal.

The matter has now been listed on March 23, 2026 at 2:00 PM for final orders, when Avinash Singh, District Magistrate, Bareilly, and Anurag Arya, Senior Superintendent of Police, Bareilly, shall remain present in person before the court, failing which their presence may be secured through non-bailable warrant.

Case Title: Tarik Khan vs State of U.P. and 2 Others

Order Date: March 11, 2026

Bench: Justice Atul Sreedharan and Justice Siddharth Nandan