Maharashtra: On April 23, despite their best efforts to avoid unwanted Hindutva attention, truck drivers Mohammed Nadaf Nisar Qureshi and Alwin were brutally beaten by over 20 men near Maharashtra‘s Yavatmal district.
Qureshi and Alwin were transporting fruits from Kerala to Madhya Pradesh. “They chased our truck for more than 20-30 km. In the beginning, they were five or six, but by the time they overtook and stopped us, their number had swelled to around 20,” Alwin told The Wire.
“I saw they were armed. I was so scared to stop that I decided to keep driving,” he added.
He escaped with minor injuries, but Qureshi’s skull sustained grave injuries, leaving him battling for life at a hospital in Nanded district.
“Because of our physical appearances and vehicle registered in the south, we are easy targets for Hindutva supporters who hunt at night. We try to avoid these routes as much as possible,” he said.
Alwin alleged it took more than 24 hours for the Maharashtra Police to file a first information report (FIR). They described it as a case of road rage, stating that the assailants were angered after the victims overtook their vehicle. Investigating officer Barge said six men have been remanded to two days police custody, adding that one more suspect is still at large.
But Qureshi’s family does not believe these claims. “Those men were fully armed. They attacked to kill. He needs multiple surgeries to get alright. Yet, the police have only applied lenient sections,” his family alleged.
Yet another cattle trader beaten up
In another hate crime case from Maharashtra’s Ahilyanagar district, a Muslim driver, carrying cattle, was abused, beaten and made to dance in a humiliating way by right-wing supporters. According to local reports, the owner of the cattle, who is a Hindu, was also forced by the vigilantes to beat the driver.
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