Muslim student brutally tortured by Hindutva extremists in Madhya Pradesh
Bhopal: A 20-year-old Muslim student was subjected to brutal torture by a group of Hindutva extremists in Seoni district of the BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh state over an alleged interfaith relationship, with the assailants beating him for hours and applying chili powder to his injuries.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the victim, identified as Sohail Khan, is a student of Electrician Trade programme at Seoni Industrial Training Inistutue (ITI). The assault occurred on June 7 but came to light after videos of the incident recently surfaced on social media, sparking widespread outrage. Following the circulation of the videos, police registered a First Information Report (FIR) at the Seoni police station.
The viral footage shows the attackers stripping Khan, repeatedly beating him with pipes and wires, and applying chilli powder and salt to the wounds on his back while continuing to punch and kick him.
According to the FIR, the main accused, identified as Asmit Mana Thakur, along with several accomplices, abducted Khan from a tea stall at Chunabhatti Chowk and took him to a nearby field, where he was assaulted for nearly two hours. The FIR states that Thakur questioned Khan about his alleged communication with a woman said to be his sister. Despite Khan telling the attackers that he had not spoken to her since January, they continued to beat him with sticks, pipes and wires.
The FIR further states that the assailants hurled abuses, inflicted severe injuries on Khan’s back, legs and hands, and deliberately applied salt and chilli powder to the wounds, causing intense pain. They also threatened to kill him or implicate him in a false sexual harassment case if he reported the incident.
According to the complaint, Khan remained silent out of fear and informed his family about the assault only after the videos went viral on social media. Police have initiated an investigation into the incident.
