Muslim man beaten by Hindutva mob for being with Hindu woman in UP
New Delhi: A Muslim youth was brutally assaulted by a Hindutva mob in Uttar Pradesh after he was seen with a Hindu woman, triggering widespread outrage after a video of the attack went viral on social media.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the incident took place at the Zila Parishad Market in Muzaffarnagar when members of Bajrang Dal attacked the youth, identified as Mahtab from Shamli district, for eating with a Hindu woman.
In the video, a large mob can be seen punching and kicking the victim while the woman desperately tried to shield him. She was also thrashed, pushed around and roughed up as she attempted to stop the attackers.
According to the FIR filed by the woman, a resident of Thana Bhawan area in Shamli, the couple had come to buy medicines and were eating chole-bhature near the District Council Market when some youths approached them and demanded their names and addresses.
The accused identified themselves as Gaurav Sharma, Kushal Veer, Shubham, Prashant Sharma and Lokesh Saini. They called more associates who surrounded the couple and abused the woman, saying, “You are a Hindu and still roaming around with a Muslim boy,” before beating both of them.
The FIR stated that the woman was grabbed by her hair, thrown to the ground and molested, while the accused also threatened to kill her. People nearby intervened and rescued the couple. Police reached the spot after a Dial-112 call and took both to Civil Lines police station for medical examination.
Police registered an FIR late at night against five named and 10-12 unidentified accused under serious sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita including assault, molestation, obscenity, threats and obstructing the path.
The incident drew sharp condemnation. Former civil servant Ashish Joshi questioned the UP DGP, saying “Instill fear of law in the followers of Hindutva cult. If you can’t, then quit.”Political commentator Salman Soz lauded the woman’s bravery, saying “The cowardice of this lynching mob is matched by the bravery of the young woman… There is no rule of law anymore.”
