Anwar’s only sin was that he asked a woman on the road where she wanted to go
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — A Muslim auto-rickshaw driver, identified as Anwar, was brutally assaulted by a mob in the Bahrampura area of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, after he reportedly asked a woman on the road where she wanted to go.
The incident left Anwar with severe head injuries as he was attacked by a group of 20-25 individuals.
Ahmedabad-based journalist Sahla Qureshi highlighted the incident on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, sharing two video clips that captured the assault. The videos show a middle-aged man with a beard, bloodstained and visibly injured, surrounded by a crowd. He is seen being grabbed by his collar, pushed around, and slapped by the group.
According to Qureshi, Anwar was beaten up because of his beard.
“Anwar’s only mistake was that he asked a girl standing on the road where she wanted to go! The goons standing in front of him saw Anwar’s beard from a distance, and that was it. These goons accused Anwar of teasing the girl and 20-25 goons chased Anwar and stopped him ahead and beat him up and caused injury in his head!” said Qureshi.
He lamented that there were people present when Anwar was being thrashed. No one came up and rescue him.
“The surprising thing is that some so-called Muslims were watching the incident as spectators, these people forgot that those who remain silent on oppression are also oppressors,” said Qureshi.
No FIR was registered in the case because the people who assaulted him had apologised to the victim, says the journalist.
“However, the police have hushed up the matter by not registering an FIR, and the “Savarakars” who beat up Anwar and tore his head apart have apologised to Anwar,” he said.
This is not the first time when a Muslim auto driver faced the wrath of mob in Ahmedabad. A year ago, a Muslim auto-driver was assaulted by the Hindutva mob because a passenger from his auto had spat outside. The spit reportedly dropped on the body of the attackers.
Instead of asking the passenger who spat tobacco, the mob assaulted the driver Ahmed Hussain Sheikh. Later, he was rescued and taken to the hospital by Rasheed Khan and Pathan when he saw Sheikh was being assaulted.
Sheikh had to endure severe injuries – visible and internal, with seven stitches above his left eye and a huge bump on his head. He had severe headaches due to repeated attacks on his head.
