Baramulla: Kunzer police in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district have arrested eight people, including a carpenter, for constructing a structure resembling the holy Kaaba in Waripora village of Tangmarg.
Videos had earlier surfaced showing the carpenter working on the rooftop of the structure.
The construction was reportedly commissioned by a man described as “mentally unwell,” who had claimed to be a Sufi saint similar to Sheikh Nooruddin Wali (RA).
He urged people to visit his site if they were unable to travel to Saudi Arabia for Hajj or Umrah.
Following strong objections from religious scholars and clerics, including Jammu and Kashmir’s Grand Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam, Maulana Ghulam Rasool Hami, and Maulana Mushtaq Ahmad Veeri, police took the man into custody. Officials said he would undergo psychiatric evaluation before any further legal action.
The incident has drawn widespread criticism on social media, with religious scholars condemning the act as misleading and un-Islamic.
Grand Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam stated that such activities violate religious principles and could create societal discord.
“There is no scope for such acts in Shariah,” he said, adding that while the man may need medical attention, his deviation from faith cannot be tolerated.
Local residents expressed shock, saying the man had exhibited unusual behaviour some time, but the construction of the Kaaba-like structure brought the matter to wider attention.
