Case registered against Sania for mosque ad

Hyderabad: A case has been registered against Sania Mirza and an advertising agency in a Hyderabad court.

The case charged Sania and the ad agency with trespassing on the Mecca Masjid.

Sania and the agency had upset local groups by shooting for an advertisement at the mosque without taking the requisite permission from the concerned authorities.

Based on the complaint filed by District Minority Welfare Officer Kareemullah, who is also the custodian of the mosque, the police had registered a case of trespass.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (Charminar), B Reddenna was quoted by news agency PTI as saying that it was a "petty case" involving unauthorised entry and photography. However, added Redenna, "the law will take its course in the matter."

Mosque employees alleged that the attitude of some of the members of shooting unit was objectionable. They were reportedly wearing shoes when they entered the mosque and pushed away a watchman who tried to stop them.

In his complaint, Shaikh Kareemullah said, "Sania has hurt the religious sentiments of people visiting the mosque."

The Superintendent of the mosque, Khaja Nayeemuddin had stated earlier that he had no information about the shooting and that the advertisement had already been shot before he or other custodians could reach the mosque.

Reddanna says that the unit had obtained permission to shoot in and around Charminar, but not inside the Mecca Masjid.

The shoot has also evoked strong protest from the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), a powerful Muslim political party in the Muslim-majority old Hyderabad city.

The MIM also objected to Sania Mirza's participation in it.

Sania or her parents were not available for comments.

Earlier, Muslim clerics had issued two fatwas against Sania for wearing short skirts while playing tennis matches. Sania had also courted controversy by voicing her support for south Indian actress Khushboo over her controversial remarks on pre-marital sex.

(With inputs from agencies)