Suspended Muslim headmaster from Mathura reinstated after probe finds BJP leader’s allegations false

Jan Mohammad, a primary school headmaster from Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura district who was suspended after a complaint from a local BJP leader, has been reinstated by the government after an inquiry committee found the allegations to be false.

The suspension of Mohammad, the headmaster of Naujheel Primary School, was ordered by the district basic education officer (BEO) after Durgesh Pradhan, the BJP’s Bajna mandal president, had filed a complaint on January 30, claiming that the teacher was “Islamizing” the school, brainwashing students and forcing them to offer namaz, and inciting them against Hinduism. He also alleged that the national anthem was not being sung at the school.

Within just 24 hours of receiving the complaint, BEO Ratan Kirti suspended Jan Mohammad with immediate effect on January 31 deeming the allegations to be “of a serious nature”. This was done without any preliminary investigation or verification of the allegation.

Kirti told Dainik Bhaskar, “A complaint was received regarding children being made to offer namaz at the school. A report was sought from the block education officer. The headmaster was found guilty prima facie. He has been suspended and attached to Primary School Nagla Humayun, Mant. The block officers of Chhata and Mant have been ordered to conduct a detailed investigation. Action will be taken based on the report.”

However, the BEO publicly acknowledged that they did not have any video or photographic evidence to corroborate the allegations against Mohammad. In a statement to the media, she described the suspension as an “interim decision,” stating that a two-member committee had been formed to look into the matter. A final decision would be made after the committee submitted it report.

The team reached the primary school on February 4 to investigate the matter. There, they recorded statements from the students, teachers, and parents. Speaking to the media, they said that the allegations did not appear to be true at first glance, and that they would submit a detailed factual report in due course.

On February 6, DEO Ratan Kirti issued an official order reinstating headmaster Jan Mohammad with full pay. The order stated that the probe committee conducted a physical inspection at the school on February 4, and the allegations against Jan Mohammad were not substantiated. Since it was found that the complaints against him were false and baseless, Jan Mohammad was reinstated with full pay from the date of his suspension, the order added.

Ground Realities

When Dainik Bhaskar visited the school in Naujheel block of Mathura, they found that only 89 out of 235 students enrolled at the school were Muslim, and the rest were Hindus. Of the eight staff members, seven are Hindus, and they all came out in support of Headmaster Jan Mohammad, refuting the allegations against him.

Students Denied Allegations against their Headmaster

Speaking to the media, students from the school stood firmly by their headmaster. They said there was no Hindu-Muslim discrimination at the school, and that the national anthem was sung every day. The children said they had never heard Jan Mohammad say anything bad about Hinduism. The students even sang the national anthem in front of the media.

मथुरा
नौहझील प्राइमरी स्कूल में प्रधानाध्यापक जान मोहम्मद के पक्ष में आए ग्रामीण और छात्र।
भाजपा मंडल अध्यक्ष दुर्गेश प्रधान द्वारा लगाए गए आरोपों को गलत बताया गया।
प्रधानाध्यापक की तबियत बिगड़ी, उन्हें आगरा एस एन मेडिकल कॉलेज में भर्ती कराया गया।
आरोप था कि स्कूल में बच्चों से… pic.twitter.com/OdYaM0kaxS

— India News UP/UK (@IndiaNewsUP_UK) February 3, 2026

Locals Came out in Jan Mohammad’s Support

Praveen, who lives near the school, told Dainik Bhaskar that his two sons studied there and he would drop them off every day. The national anthem is sung daily, and classes are held regularly. He described the entire case as purely political.

Pooja, another parent, said, Jan Mohammad was like a “God” to the children and that he was being framed. Indrapal, a farmer from the village, said the suspended headmaster never discriminated between Hindus and Muslims. His son and daughter were former students of the primary school. He pointed out that on every January 26, villagers were invited to the school campus, the national anthem was sung, and sweets were distributed. Sanjay Pandey, another resident of the village, said, “My house is near the school. Two of my nephews study there. I drop them off. The national anthem is sung here every day.”

Describing the controversy as politically motivated, Pandey said, “The complainants are not from the people of this village. Outsiders are making such allegations and vitiating the atmosphere of the area. There are CCTV cameras installed in the school; every activity is monitored. How can namaz be offered here?”

Rajan, another villager, said that the school did not have a boundary wall, so people passing by can see what’s happening inside. He said he had never seen anyone offering namaz there. Rajan added that Headmaster Jan Mohammad was trying to get a boundary wall built for the school, but there was a dispute over the land. He suspected that those who did not want the boundary wall built might be behind the complaint.

Teachers Supported the Headmaster

School teacher Kamna Agarwal and Lakshmi supported the headmaster in their statements to the media. Kamna Agarwal, who has been working at the school since 2014, said that Jan Mohammad never discriminated against anyone on religious grounds and actively participated in both teaching and social work. Lakshmi, another teacher, stated that there was also a controversy regarding the SIR (Special Summary Revision) process. She explained that she was involved in the SIR process, and most of the voters in her area were from the Muslim community. Some people came and asked her to file objections under Form 7. When she inquired with the officials, they informed her that a maximum of 10 forms could be submitted. The teacher then asked them to take 10 forms. Following this incident, the allegations against the school and the news of the headmaster’s suspension surfaced.

Controversy over Deleting Names of Muslim Voters 

According to a report by Jagran, Jan Mohammad was the supervisor for 10 polling booths in the Naujheel area. Initially, the list of absent, shifted, and deceased voters in his area was shared on social media with the claim that Hindu voters were deliberately being removed. Following this, officials from a political party pressured him to submit approximately 100 Form 7 applications to remove Muslim voters. He stated that under pressure, he submitted 36 forms, returning the rest because the order from the Tehsil office was to accept only 10 Form 7 applications per day. He said that the complaint against him might have been filed after this incident, even though he did not know the complainant, BJP leader Durgesh Pradhan.

Villagers Submitted Memorandum to District Magistrate 

Following the suspension of headmaster Jan Mohammad, dozens of parents and villagers submitted a memorandum to Mathura district magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh on February 3, terming the allegations baseless and a political conspiracy. They demanded a fair investigation and the immediate reinstatement of the headmaster. The villagers also urged the DM to take action against those hatching the conspiracy.