Assam: A 55-year-old Imam, Maulana Tehzeeb Islam, was reportedly fatally stabbed in a mosque within Assam’s Tinsukia district during the early hours of Sunday, as stated by the police, who also confirmed the arrest of the alleged perpetrator.
Originating from Bihar’s Purnia district, Maulana Tehzeeb Islam served as an Imam at a mosque situated in Tinsukia’s Makum Kolabari area.
The police revealed that the accused, a 42-year-old local resident Mohammad Ibrahim Ahmed, entered the mosque during Sunday morning prayers, armed with a machete, and inflicted multiple stab wounds on Maulana Islam.
Despite the immediate fatality, the accused managed to escape, abandoning the murder weapon, and then returned to the scene disguised as a mere onlooker.
Law enforcement officials swiftly apprehended him. Authorities have formally charged Ibrahim Ahmed under section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code, citing his confession to the crime.
The Tinsukia district additional superintendent of police (ASP) stated that further interrogation was ongoing, with the possibility of additional charges being added. Local witnesses recounted an earlier verbal altercation between the Imam and the accused, with Ahmed allegedly issuing death threats to the Imam a few days prior.