Kaaba-Like Structure Demolished, 'Mentally-Unwell' Man Held In North Kashmir

Following concerns raised by clerics, the ‘mentally ill’ man was arrested. However, officials stated he would undergo psychiatric evaluation before taking any further legal action.

Srinagar:Authorities in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district have demolished a structure resembling the holy Kaaba, built by a 'mentally unwell' man in Waripora village of Tangmarg.

The man had claimed to be a Sufi saint akin to Sheikh Nooruddin Wali (RA), urging people to visit his site if they were unable to travel to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj or Umrah.

Following the concerns raised by the religious scholars and clerics, including the chief cleric of Jammu and Kashmir, Mufi Nasir-ul-Islam, Maulana Ghulam Rasool Hami, and Maulana Mushtaq Ahmad Veeri, who called for his immediate arrest, the mentally unsound man was taken into custody.

However, officials stated that the man would undergo psychiatric evaluation before any further legal action.

The incident has been widely condemned on social media platforms, with religious scholars asserting that such actions have no place in Islamic teachings. Grand Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam emphasised that such activities not only violate religious principles but also create discord in society. “There is no scope for such acts in the Shariah (Islamic law),” he said.

Grand Mufti further added that while the man requires medical treatment, his deviation from the faith cannot be tolerated.

Meanwhile, Waripora residents expressed shock over the incident, with many stating that the man had been displaying unusual behaviour for some time. but the construction of the Kaaba-like structure brought the issue to wider attention.