KANPUR: A Muslim man was allegedly beaten, paraded through a street, and forced to chant “Jai Shree Ram” (Hail Lord Ram) by a mob in India’s Kanpur town, according to Indian media.
Video footage of the incident showed the victim being forced to chant the slogan and begging the attackers to not beat him while his daughter clung to him. NDTV reported that the victim was later handed over to the police.
According to the publication, the victim said he was driving his rickshaw when the mob started abusing and assaulting him and threatening to kill him and his family. “I got saved because of the police,” he added.
The report stated the distressing incident took place at a distance of 500 metres from a spot where a Hindu nationalist group Bajrang Dal held a meeting to imply that Muslim residents of the area “were forcing a Hindu girl into embracing Islam”.
“The assault happened right after the meeting”, the NDTV report stated. However, it said the police have not confirmed whether the attackers were affiliated with the Bajrang Dal.
A case was registered against a resident of the area, his son, and around 10 other people based on the complaint of the victim. The NDTV further said the victim was related to a Muslim family in the area who were involved in a legal dispute with their Hindu neighbours.
“Initially, the Muslim family filed a case back in July, accusing the Hindus of criminal intimidation, which was responded with the registration of another case by the Hindu family, alleging of assault to violate the modesty of a woman,” said the police statement.
There have been several incidents of violence against Muslims in India in the past with some of them related to cow vigilantism.
In May, a Muslim man carrying buffalo meat was physically assaulted in Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad district. While police had registered a case against the attackers on the complaint of the victim’s brother, they also — of their own volition — had registered a separate case against the victim.
