In yet another incident highlighting the growing intolerance and hate against minorities, a Muslim youth identified as Changez Khan was brutally assaulted at a busy intersection by a mob allegedly linked to Hindutva groups.
The incident took place on Sunday, September 1 at Banda Chowk under Puranpur police station limits, according to a complaint lodged by the mother of Changez Khan.
According to the reports, the incident unfolded after Khan was lured to a specific location where he was attacked by Bajrang Dal members led by Sanjay Mishra. The assailants attempted to kill Khan by taking him into a nearby jungle.
The purported video clip that has surfaced on social media, shows a group of men thrashing Khan dragging him on the road and continuing their assault.
Khan’s mother alleged that her son was rescued when a UP 112 police response vehicle reached the incident site. She said the attackers misbehaved even with the police, according to the FIR.
The incident sparked a huge outcry and Muslim clerics staged a protest and demanded strict action against the accused.
According to a police official, a few days before the incident, Khan was booked for allegedly molesting a local woman after barging into her house. However, the official said the two incidents cannot be linked pending inquiry in the cases.
Puranpur police station in-charge Rajeev Kumar Sharma said, “The FIR in the case has been lodged and the investigation is ongoing. Further action will be taken once the inquiry is completed.”
The FIR has been lodged under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 191(2) and 191(3) – (both for rioting), 190 (member of unlawful assembly), 109 (attempt to murder), and 351(3) (criminal intimidation), among others, police said.
Those booked have been identified as Anmol, Sanjay Mishra, Raju Rathore, Dheeraj, and Deepak, besides 10 “unidentified” people, police added.
Meanwhile, district president of the Bajrang Dal, Sanjay Mishra, claimed that the incident involved a confrontation with motorcycle riders who were “forcibly” taking a girl away from their vehicle.
“Two bike riders were forcibly taking a girl away from their vehicle. On hearing her screams, we reached the spot. Then the bike riders hit one of my friends and abused him using casteist words. They also hit him with the butt of a gun. The bike riders also misbehaved with police,” he claimed.
Khan sustained serious injuries during the assault, including a broken finger caused by a screwdriver, a stab wound to the stomach, and a head injury inflicted by a rod. He was later hospitalized for treatment.
With inputs from PTI
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