Three Muslim laborers abducted, tortured after demanding wages in Rajasthan
Jaipur: In yet another incident highlighting the growing wave of anti-Muslim violence in India, three Muslim laborers were abducted, held captive overnight and brutally assaulted by a group of Hindutva men in Rajasthan after demanding payment for repair work at a mining site. The victims said they were subjected to communal abuse, death threats and forced to chant Hindu religious slogans.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the incident took place in Beawar district earlier this week. Police have registered a case and launched an investigation. Advocate Rahmat Kathat, representing the victims, said two or three suspects have been arrested, while the main accused remains at large.
The police complaint said that Sajid Khan (40), his brother Junaid and nephew Sahil had traveled to a mine in Jhutha village on June 28 to repair machinery. After completing the work, they asked the mine owner for their wages but were told to return the following morning. As the three men prepared to leave, mine owner Mukesh Mali arrived with four or five others in a sport utility vehicle (SUV). The group assaulted the workers, forced them into the vehicle and took them to an office, where they were tied up with ropes and held captive throughout the night.
According to the complaint, the attack soon turned into a communal hate crime. Sajid said that the assailants shouted, “We are Hindus, we will kill you Muslims,” before forcing the victims to chant the Hindu religious slogan “Jai Shri Ram.” Fearing for their lives, the three men complied, but the attackers continued to beat them with iron rods, shovel handles and wooden sticks while threatening them with a firearm.
The complaint further said that Junaid sustained serious head injuries after being dragged by his hair, while all three victims suffered multiple injuries during the prolonged assault. Their mobile phones were also seized and damaged by the attackers.
Police have registered a criminal case and entrusted the investigation to a senior officer. However, members of the local Muslim community have expressed dissatisfaction with the police response, saying that investigators failed to acknowledge the communal motive behind the attack. In a memorandum submitted to the district police chief, they demanded the inclusion of additional charges, including offences related to the use of a firearm, immediate arrest of all remaining accused, and action against any police officials found negligent in handling the case.
The incident has once again raised concerns over the increasing incidents of anti-Muslim violence and impunity enjoyed by Hindutva extremists in Modi’s India.
