The police have mentioned a dispute over a seat as the reason for the assault and were silent on the beef allegation
Waquar Hasan | Clarion India
NEW DELHI – The elderly Muslim victim of the mob attack on a moving train near Maharashtra’s Igatpuri town has gone into deep depression. The 72-year-old victim, beaten mercilessly over suspicion of carrying beef, is in no position now to narrate anything about the sordid episode of his bullying by the Hindutva mob.
The incident happened on Wednesday when the victim, Haji Ashraf Muniyar, was going to his daughter’s home from Jalgaon to Kalyan district. A video showing several youths interrogating, abusing and thrashing the elderly man went viral on Saturday. It showed the thrashing continued even while the victim pleaded for mercy by folding his hands.
Speaking to Clarion India over the phone, Ashfaq Ashraf, son of Muniyar, said that since his father was attacked he has gone into a deep depression. His condition is critical, Ashfaq said.
“The condition of the Haji Sahab (Muniyar) became very critical because of the attack. He had gone into depression. He was not able to make any statement. He could not say anything due to depression,” Ashfaq said.
“He is under treatment and now his situation is improving. His eyesight has become very weak as he was hit in his eyes,” he added.
According to Ashfaq, the depression was the reason that they could not file a complaint about the attack. This is why the registration of the FIR was delayed.
However, Thane Railway police registered an FIR on Saturday after Muniyar went to the police station along with the community leaders. The case was filed under the BNS sections 189(2), 191(2), 190, 126 (2), 115(2), 324(4) (5), 351 (2)(3) and 352.
In the statement, the police mentioned a seat dispute as the reason for the assault and were silent on the beef allegations. The videos clearly show that Muniyar is being interrogated by the mob about the meat and asking him why was he carrying beef during the period of Sawan.
Community leaders and activists accused the police of filing a weak case and initially invoking some minor sections. Some sections were added after leaders pressured the police officer.
Meanwhile, Muniyar said that he was carrying buffalo meat and not beef. Talking to a local news outlet, he also claimed that Rs 2,800 and his mobile set were stolen by the mob during the assault.
“When I was trying to deboard the train and went to pick up my bag, all of these youths pounced on me and caught me saying that there was beef inside my bag. They started beating me up and abusing me. They did not allow me to leave the train at Kalyan station where I had to deboard. Then, they brutally assaulted me kicking and punching me,” said Muniyar.
He was hit in the eyes and head causing swelling in both of his eyes, considerably affecting his vision.
During the assault, the mob also tried to toss him out of the running train. Somehow, Muniyar escaped and deboarded the train at the Thane railway station. Yet, some of the mob pursued him and threatened that they would kill him if he filed a police complaint against them.
