A Muslim man was assaulted in the public and allegedly asked to chant “Jai Shri Ram” even as his minor daughter tried to save him, said police here on Thursday.
A one-minute video of the incident surfaced on social media on Wednesday. The 45-year-old man is seen being assaulted by some men, who ask him to chant “Jai Shri Ram”.
The victim’s daughter is seen trying to save her father, crying and asking the attackers not to beat him. Later, some policemen took the man to their Jeep. The footage also shows the man being hit while in police custody.
Deputy Police Commissioner (South) Raveena Tyagi said the matter came to the fore at the Kacchi Basti locality near the Ram Gopal crossing in the Barra area of Kanpur on Wednesday.
“On the complaint of the victim, we have lodged an FIR and legal action is under way,” she said.
The assault reportedly occurred shortly after a Bajrang Dal meeting, held 500 metres away. The right-wing group claimed in the meeting that Muslims in the neighbourhood were trying to convert a Hindu girl.
The victim stated in his complaint that the group started abusing and assaulting him while he was driving his e-rickshaw around 3 pm. He also mentioned that the accused threatened to kill him.
Incidentally, the man is related to a Muslim family in the neighbourhood that is involved in a legal dispute with their Hindu neighbours, according to the report.
The police statement also reportedly mentioned the legal feud between the two families. While the Muslim family filed a case of assault of criminal intimidation, the Hindu family later pressed charges against their neighbours for “assault with the intent to outrage the modesty of a woman”.
The report said that according to sources, the Bajrang Dal recently got involved in the matter and they had been making allegations of forcible conversion against the Muslim family.
