In the last few weeks, there have been an increasing number of instances when cooks have been caught spitting on the dough while preparing rotis. The viral videos of their acts were invariably caught on camera and released on the internet, attracting widespread criticism from people who demanded police to bring to book such vile offenders.
Due to the gross nature of the incidents and the ongoing pandemic situation, the police have initiated deeper investigations into the case to see if these are isolated incidents or if there is a bigger nexus at play that indulge in such activities.
Here are 4 incidents from the recent past when cooks were arrested by the police after videos of them spitting on rotis had gone viral on social media websites:-
Mohsin, arrested for spitting on rotis, confesses he has been spitting in functions of non-Muslims from the last 5 years
In March 2021, the Ghaziabad police arrested one Mohammad Mohsin after a video of him making rotis while spitting on them at an engagement ceremony went viral on the microblogging site. The incident purportedly took place on March 11 in the Bhojpur area of Ghaziabad district. The cook identified as Mohammad Mohsin in seen making rotis and spitting on them.
According to media reports, the incident happened during the engagement ceremony of the nephew of one Shivkumar on Thursday, in one educational institute premises near Dausa Banjarpur falling under the Bhojpur police station limits. Mohammad Mohsin was making rotis at this engagement ceremony when he was caught red-handed spitting on the dough prepared for the rotis before putting it in the tandoor. He was also secretly filmed doing the same. The video of the incident went viral the next day.
On Friday, when Mohsin realised that the video of the incident has gone viral on social media, he fled from his village along with his family members.
After watching the viral video, Ghaziabad police sprang into action. The police approached Shivkumar to confirm whether the video was genuine. After verifying they spoke to the catering company which had hired Mohsin, to know his whereabouts.
On learning that Mohsin was a resident of Sahbiswa in Muradnagar, Ghaziabad, the police reached his house to arrest him but Mohsin had fled by then. The police immediately launched a manhunt and arrested the accused. Mohsin has been slapped with relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, along with sections under the Epidemic Act.
In his interrogation with the police, the accused Mohsin confessed to committing such acts for the last five years. He informed the police that he moonlighted as a painter, besides preparing rotis/naan at functions and events. However, one of the shocking revelations Mohsin made in his interview was that he spat on the dough only in events organised by non-Muslims. Never for once has he spat on rotis/naan at Muslim festivals.
Mohammad Khalik arrested from Delhi after video of him spitting on rotis goes viral
On the last week of March, another man named Mohammad Khalik was arrested from the national capital after a video of him spitting on the dough while preparing rotis in a tandoor had gone viral on the internet. The Delhi Police took cognisance of the viral video and arrested the cook named Mohammad Khalik.
Investigation revealed that it was from Madeena hotel in North East Delhi’s Bhajanpura area. In the video, the cook was seen spitting on rotis before putting them in the tandoor. The police registered a case against the culprit under sections 269, 270, 272 of the IPC and the Pandemic Act. Khalik had reportedly come to Delhi from his native village about 9-10 years ago in a search for a job. He got a job at the Dhaba in Bhajanpura and has been working there since then.
Delhi Police arrest Mohammad Ibrahim and Anwar after social media was abuzz with a video of them spitting on rotis
In yet another case of a cook spitting on rotis, Delhi Police arrested two persons named Mohammad Ibrahim and Anwar after a video of them spitting on rotis had gone viral on the internet. In the video that had gone viral, one of the two men was seen spitting on the rotis before putting them in a tandoor. It was then reported that the video was from a hotel in Seelampur in Delhi.
Apparently, the video was shot by a customer who had caught the duo spitting on rotis. The customer had also recorded the video and later uploaded it on the internet. The police took cognisance of the video and arrested the two men. An FIR was filed against the accused under IPC sections 269, 270, 272, 273 and 34 at Khayala Police Station, New Delhi.
Naushad alias Sohail caught spitting on rotis in Meerut in February
On February 20, Meerut Police arrested one Naushad alias Suhail for spitting on the food while working as a cook at a wedding. On February 18, a video started to go viral on social media platforms in which a man was seen spitting on uncooked roti before putting it in tandoor. The video was shared by several netizens.
The location was identified as Aroma Garden, Meerut. Sachin Sirohi of Hindu Jagran Manch registered an FIR against the person who was identified as Naushad.
As per the Meerut Police statement, a case under several sections, including 269, 270, 188 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 3 of Epidemic Disease Act, was registered against Naushad.
During interrogation, it was reportedly revealed that Naushad worked as a cook in wedding ceremonies for the last 15 years. A video had surfaced in which he allegedly confessed to spitting on food for at least ten years.
Similar incident happens in Shamli in Uttar Pradesh, police takes accused into custody
Another video went viral on the internet that shows a man spitting on the dough as he prepares to make Rotis at Shamli in Uttar Pradesh. Shamli Police said on Twitter that the accused has been taken into custody and appropriate action under the ambit of the law will be taken. Although the accused were not named, all the men working in the kitchen can be wearing skullcaps.
