Three policemen have been booked for assaulting a roadside stall owner and dragging him with a police van in the Sayajigunj area in Vadodara on Wednesday. The local egg vendor sustained severe injuries and remains hospitalised.
The incident, involving three police personnel from the Sayajigunj police station, was brought to light on Wednesday when the injured Faiyaz was admitted in critical condition at a private hospital in Vadodara.
The victim’s family alleges that Faiyaz was dragged along with the police van, resulting in serious condition. He was initially admitted to a government hospital, from where he was referred to a multispeciality hospital in Vadodara.
Medical reports from the government hospital (SSG) confirmed that Faiyaz was dragged, leading to severe injuries that required hospitalization.
Faiyaz, who operates a roadside egg stall near Vadodara railway station platform no. 5, was asked to close his stall by the police around 11:45 pm on Tuesday. However, he had to wait for his brother, Mohammad Mumtaz, to arrive due to not having the keys with him.
Despite explaining the situation, an argument ensued between Faiyaz and the police officers, which allegedly escalated into physical assault. The police officers, identified as Mubashir Salim and Raghuvir Bharat, then apprehended Faizan and dragged him with a PCR van for about a half-kilometre.
According to the complaint filed by Mumtaz at Sayajigunj Police Station, at around 2:30 am, his neighbour informed him that Faiyaz had been admitted to SSG Hospital. So he rushed to the hospital, where his brother was being treated in the emergency department.
Meanwhile, an eyewitness Abhinav, who was present at the scene and also called the ambulance, stated that at 2 am, a PCR van from the Sayajigunj police station arrived at the location to enforce the closure of all shops and stalls, as the elections are planned in the city next week.
However, Mohammad Faizan was still present in the square, so he got into an altercation with the policemen.
Subsequently, police constable Mohammad Mubashir apprehended him and beat him with a stick. Another police constable, Radhuvirbhai, who was in the car at the time, also held Mohammad Faizan and assaulted him.
This agitated Mohammad Faizan, causing him to confront the police car and grab hold of it. A crowd had gathered, causing a commotion. At that moment, the police started the car to leave quickly, causing Mohammad Faizan to slip on the road and fall while attempting to move forward. The force was such that Sheikh got stuck in the van and was allegedly dragged for “400 meters”.
People started shouting at the scene, and the officers ran away.
Faiyaz is currently being treated in the ICU ward at Tricolour Hospital and remains unconscious.
The cops are booked under IPC sections 307 (Attempt to kill), 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 325 (Punishment for voluntarily causing grievous hurt), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) 114(Abettor present when an offence committed) and GP act 135 (Penalty for contravention of rules).
Consequently, it was revealed that to prevent the matter from getting worse, the police had admitted Faiyaz to a multispeciality hospital and assured his family that they would pay for his medical care.
Initially, the officers facilitated the payment of an initial bill amounting to 40,000 rupees on the day of Faiyaz’s admission to the hospital, as confirmed by his brother. However, despite assurances, the family has encountered difficulties in reaching the officers for further payments, which amount to 1 lakh rupees for ongoing treatment.
Faiyaz’s brother, Mohammad Mumtaz Sheikh, expresses his distress, and vows, “I will ensure that my brother receives the justice he deserves. Those responsible for this should face severe punishment for the harm they inflicted upon him. I have no other requests. What I do know is that Faizan will endure lifelong suffering; he only got married 8 months ago, and now his life is ruined. He will never be able to walk again. I am prepared to fight and do whatever it takes.”
While the police officers and their driver were booked, a complaint has also been filed against Faizan for obstructing the police from performing their duty.
