Overview

• The Jabalpur bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court directed the State Human Rights Commission to investigate Maulana’s public procession and shaving after his May 9 arrest.
• The court found potential breaches of Articles 21, 22 and 25 of the Constitution, which protect personal liberty, arrest procedures and religious freedom.
• Maulana’s wife, Shameem Bano, filed the petition alleging officers forcefully shaved his head, beard and moustache, violating Islamic customs.
• Bhopal police counter that Maulana self-shaved before capture to evade recognition following a violent gang clash.
• Authorities arrested Maulana after a May 6 attack on a rival gang member’s home and seized a pistol, cartridges and knives from his group.