A minor Muslim, Abdul Fahad, faced severe brutality from a Hindutva mob in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh. The incident took place on 4 December while the boy was returning from school.
The 15-year-old was stripped of his clothes and brutally beaten with belts and other weapons. After the assault, the group forced him into a cold water pond, endangering his life in the chilly weather.
The brutal attack on a Muslim minor occurred in the Ramkola police station area of Kushinagar district. The youth became a victim of an act of brutality, sending shockwaves through the community.
The identified assailants, Nitin Madheshiya, Aditya Singh, Aryan Singh, Arjun, Yuvraj, and Chandan, are affiliated with Hindu Yuva Vahini, a right-wing organization.
Shockingly, the attack was also filmed by the group and shared on social media sites.
In the viral video, the assaulters can also be seen forcing the minor to lick their feet.
Fahad, who was returning from school, was subsequently taken to the Panchayat Bhawan on a motorcycle by his friend, where the said group assaulted him.
Aftab Bhat, the victim’s father, said to Maktoob, “Nobody knew about the incident until we saw videos surfacing on social media. He never told us about it.”
“He had been skipping school for a few days, and we discovered this video recently. When he explained the entire incident, he revealed that the group had threatened him, saying they would take his life if he disclosed the assault,” he said.
He added, “I fainted after seeing my son in the video. He endured severe brutality, and these assailants are still roaming freely.”
A police complaint in the matter has been filed by Aftab on 27 December in Ramkola Police Station. The Ramkola police authorities are accused of initially neglecting the case. However, after much pressure as the incident came to light when the video went viral on social media, the police filed a case against the six mentioned individuals and 4 unidentified men under sections 147, 323, 504, 506 and 342 of the Indian Penal Code of 1860.
The family accused the police of pressuring them into changing the statement in the complaint thrice.
Police also asked the family members to compromise with the group who had assaulted Fahad. But the family chose to follow the law in the quest for justice.
Aftab told Maktoob, “After we filed the complaint the police asked us to tone down the statements to put charges with less weightage on the accused and settle the case by compromising saying that it would be better for us as they are strong people.”
He further said, “After we filed the report, a representative of the group who had assaulted our kid also came to our house asking for a compromise.”
“I asked him if your son was beaten instead of mine would you have reacted in the same manner, he said, I would have shot him down. I said but I would pursue it legally before sending him back”, said Aftab.
A local reporter in Kushinagar informed Maktoob, “The accused individuals are habitual offenders, mentioned in numerous cases but never apprehended. They continue to roam freely with complete impunity and are associated with Hindu Yuva Vahini.”
“One of the accused, Aditya Singh, falsely claims to be a relative of State Minister Rajeshwar Singh, which is not true. He and his friends lead a gang of around 200 people in the Kushinagar area, engaging in such activities,” said the reporter.
The journalist also informed Maktoob that the group used to follow Fahad to his school and threatened him with a gun if he ever opened his mouth.
Maktoob reached out to the Station House Officer of Ramkola Police Station.
The officer said to Maktoob, “The investigation is going on and 4 accused have been arrested in the case including a Muslim named Rizwan, who is not named in the FIR.”
However, he refuted the claim of pressuring the family of the victim to change the statement in the complaint.
He said, “The FIR is registered based on the complainant’s ordeal and no changes have been made to it.”
