A video purportedly showing the assault of a Muslim man Changez Khan in Pilibhit's Puranpur has gone viral, prompting a police investigation. Authorities have booked 15 individuals, including a member of the Bajrang Dal, on charges including attempted murder.
The video, filmed late in the evening in a dimly lit area with food kiosks, shows Khan being beaten by a group of men. The attackers used a knife and a pistol to threaten him, and his T-shirt was removed as he was dragged along the road. Khan's mother claimed that her son was rescued when a UP 112 police response vehicle arrived at the scene. She also alleged that the attackers misbehaved with the police.
Victim previously booked for molesting women
The incident occurred on the night of September 1 at Banda Chowk within the jurisdiction of the Puranpur police station. The complaint was lodged by the mother of Changez Khan. According to a police official, Khan had been previously booked for allegedly molesting a local woman. However, the official stated that the two incidents are not linked pending further inquiry.
Puranpur police station in-charge Rajeev Kumar Sharma commented, "The FIR in the case has been lodged and the investigation is ongoing. Further action will be taken once the inquiry is completed." The FIR includes charges under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 191(2) and 191(3) related to rioting, 190 for unlawful assembly, 109 for attempted murder, and 351(3) for criminal intimidation, among others.
Those booked are identified as Anmol, Sanjay Mishra, Raju Rathore, Dheeraj, and Deepak, along with ten other unidentified individuals.
Confrontation with bike riders abducting girl: Accused
Sanjay Mishra, the district president of Bajrang Dal, claimed that the incident was related to a confrontation with motorcycle riders allegedly trying to abduct a girl. Mishra stated, "Two bike riders were forcibly taking a girl away on their vehicle. On hearing her screams, we reached the spot. Then the bike riders hit one of my friends and abused him using casteist words. They also hit him with the butt of a gun. The bike riders also misbehaved with police."
(With PTI Inputs)
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