Cleric preaching hate detained at Sahar airport

A cleric from the radical Ahle Hadees sect, who is reported to have made speeches criticising dargah-going Muslims, has been arrested again by the police.

Maulana Sheikh Meraj Rabbani was taken into custody by the Sahar police on Friday night from the international airport while on his way to Saudi Arabia.

On Saturday, the Vikhroli metropolitan court ordered that Rabbani be taken into custody as the police wanted to investigate the allegations against him. There are court injunctions banning Rabbani from leaving the country. The court will hear the matter again on Monday.

Rabbani had been arrested earlier after complaints that he had hurt the sentiments of Muslim sects with his offensive comments about Ajmer saint Khwaja Garib Nawaz, who is revered by Barelvis and Sufis. The comments were alleged to have been made by Rabbani at a meeting on January 28 at Chirag Nagar in Ghatkopar.

After the sessions court rejected his application for anticipatory bail, Rabbani had approached the high court  and  the apex court which rejected it, too. Earlier this year, while applying for anticipatory bail, the high court had asked for the transcripts of two CDs, in which Rabbani allegedly spewed hatred against liberal Muslim sects.

According to Rabbani, the speech mentioned by the complainant was recorded in Saudi Arabia several years ago. Rabbani’s lawyer, Basil Qazi said, “The alleged incident occurred almost a year ago and most people have forgotten it. He has been arrested and falsely implicated due to pressure from some political parties.”