A man in Bhopal was allegedly assaulted and paraded by a right-wing group for being with a woman from another community, sparking police investigation and community protests.
Key Points
- A man was allegedly assaulted and smeared with cow dung in Bhopal for being with a woman from another community.
- Right-wing organisation members are accused of storming a hotel room and beating the man.
- Police have registered a case against unidentified individuals under section 299 of the BNS following complaints.
- Muslim community members protested, demanding strict action against the accused.
- AIMIM has demanded the accused be charged under the National Security Act (NSA).
A man from a minority community was assaulted, smeared with cow dung and paraded on street allegedly by members of a right-wing outfit after he was found with a woman of another community in a Bhopal hotel, leading police to file a case on Tuesday.
In a viral video, a group of workers from a right-wing organisation can be seen storming a hotel room in Gautam Nagar and beating up the man after he was allegedly found there with a woman of another community.
The group members later paraded the man on a Bhopal street after smearing ink and cow dung on his face.
Police Investigation Launched After Bhopal Assault
Govindpura police station in-charge Awdhesh Tomar, under whose jurisdiction the incident took place on May 10, said a case was registered against unidentified persons under BNS section 299 (Deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) after receiving multiple complaints, one of them from a cleric.
"Further investigation was underway and efforts were on to round-up those involved in the incident," he said.
Community Protests Demand Justice
Enraged over the incident, members of the Muslim community gathered outside the Bhopal Police Commissioner's office and staged a protest, briefly disrupting traffic. Police officials intervened to control the situation.
Muslim organizations and their supporters, who staged the protest, demanded strict action against the accused persons. They warned of a bigger protest if the culprits were not arrested quickly.
Police Commissioner Sanjay Kumar met Bhopal's Qazi-e-Shahar (religious authority for the Muslim community), Syd Mushtaq Ali Nadvi, and later told reporters that a case has been registered against unidentified individuals, who will be traced and arrested soon.
The IPS officer assured that action will be also taken against police personnel if they were found lax in handling the sensitive matter.
Political Reactions To The Incident
Terming the incident as extremely serious, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) demanded that the police register a case against the accused persons under the National Security Act (NSA), a stringent law.
According to an AIMIM release, the party's Madhya Pradesh president Mohsin Ali Khan would meet Bhopal's Qazi-e-Shahar, Nadvi, and discuss the incident.
Nadvi has filed a complaint in connection with the incident.
