The incident occurred a day after the Congress, in its election manifesto, promised to ban Hindutva protagonist Bajrang Dal for its activities against the Constitution and for spreading hatred among different communities
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — A 17-year-old Muslim student was reportedly picked up, questioned and assaulted by some Bajrang Dal members in Puttur town of Karnataka’s Dakshina Kannada District on Tuesday. Four arrests have been made in this connection.
The victim, Mohammed Faris, was admitted to a hospital in Puttur. Faris, a first-year student at pre-university college (PU), was out along with his classmates including a Hindu girl to watch a movie. While he was drinking juice with his friends, a battery rickshaw driver approached him and asked him to accompany him. He was taken to a spot near Shishu Mandir and assaulted, reports reaching here said.
Talking to media persons, Faris said he was assaulted by a mob of 50 people associated with Bajrang Dal. He was threatened with dire consequences if the incident was reported to the police.
In his complaint filed with the police, Faris said that he pleaded with the attackers that he and the girl were mere friends, but the attackers did not relent and continued to rain down blows with sticks and wires on him.
He said the attackers let him go only on the condition that he won’t file a police complaint.
A video viral on social media shows a badly bruised Faris who was also unable to talk properly.
On the basis of the complaint, the police have booked cases under IPC Sections 143 (Whoever is a member of an unlawful assembly), 147 (guilty of rioting), 148 (guilty of rioting armed with a deadly weapon), 365 (Whoever kidnaps or abducts any person with an intent to cause that person to be secretly and wrongfully confined), 504 (intentionally insulting), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 506 (criminal intimidation) read with 34. The police have identified the four accused as Dinesh Gowda, Prajwal, Nishanth Kumar, and Pradeep. Gowda is an auto-rickshaw driver while the others are college students.
The incident occurred a day after Congress, in its manifesto for the state elections scheduled for May 10, promised to ban Hindutva protagonist Bajrang Dal for its activities against the Constitution and for spreading hatred among different communities. Under the current regime, many incidents of attacks on Muslims and Christians have been reported from the state.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi have reacted sharply to Congress’s promise to ban the Hindutva group.
