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Man arrested in murder of Rochdale imam
A 31-year-old man has been arrested over the murder of an imam in a children's playground, with police set to investigate if the attack was racially motivated.Jalal Uddin, 56, was found covered in blood with serious head injuries in the play area near South Street in Rochdale, Manchester. Police were called to the scene around 9pm last night and he was taken to hospital, where he died a short time later. Locals said he had been to evening prayers at a mosque before visiting a friend. It is believed the former Jalalia Jaame Mosque imam was taking a shortcut through the playground on his way home after eating dinner at the friend's house. Forensic officers were examining the scene and the area was cordoned off today. The force this afternoon confirmed a 31-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder. Assistant Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, Rebekah Sutcliffe, said detectives are looking at the possibility that the incident was racially motivated but added: 'At the moment we just cannot say one way or the other.' She continued: 'We have additional patrols in the area and we are working closely with partners in the local authority. 'There will be additional staff in the area this evening. We want to reassure the community that we are doing everything to identify who was responsible for this attack and understand what has happened.' Posted by: Steve White 2016-02-20 |
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