Lucknow | CCTV footage has strengthened the suspicion that the prayer at Lucknow’s Lulumal was part of a conspiracy. Suspicions had already been raised that some people had come to the mall and performed namaz with the aim of creating communal tension. According to a report released by the National Herald India website, the CCTV footage of the mall confirms this.
CCTV footage released by the mall authorities to the police shows eight men entering the mall together. But none of them try to look around the mall or visit any showroom or buy any products.
The group reaches the mall in a hurry. As soon as they arrive, they start looking for a place to sit and pray, the CCTV footage shows, according to the National Herald India report. First, they are seen trying to pray on the basement floor of the mall. But security officials do not allow this. The group then enters the first floor. They were also stopped by security personnel there. The group then went to the second floor which was relatively less crowded. Six of them immediately sat down to pray. The remaining two are engaged in video recording and photography.
Webset reports quoting Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Rajesh Kumar Srivastava that they do not even have basic knowledge about how to perform the prayer. It normally takes seven to eight minutes to complete the prayer, but in the video footage, it can be seen in less than a minute in a hurry. In just 18 seconds to be precise, the group completes the prayer and films the video.
The prayer should be performed facing the Kaaba in the western direction from North India. But activist and social worker Tahira Hasan, who raised concerns about the conspiracy early on, said one of them had his face turned in a different direction.
After recording the video in a hurry, the group can be seen leaving the mall in a hurry. After the group left the mall, the video of the prayer was circulated on social media. After this, Hindutva organizations came forward against the mall.
The CCTV footage which is very crucial in the investigation has been handed over to the police. Based on this, the police is conducting a detailed investigation. The police stations revealed that those who did not pray would be caught soon.