New Delhi: Four Muslim men were waylaid and brutally assaulted by a Hindutva mob in Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh on May 24. Three are critical.
The four men have been identified as Arbaz, Aqeel, Kadim, and Munna Khan – all residents of the Atrauli town in Aligarh.
Videos of the attack have been shared multiple times on social media. The four men were allegedly stripped by the mob and attacked with sharp weapons, bricks, sticks, and rods.
They are understood to have been rescued by the local police after sustaining grievous injuries. Three of the four are critically hurt and are undergoing treatment at a hospital. “I cannot describe the injuries. You can watch the videos. My son is fighting for his life in the hospital,” Aqueel’s father Salim Khan, said.
According to the FIR filed by Salim, the four men were returning to Atrauli in a pick-up truck carrying meat from the nearby Al-Ammar frozen foods meat factory in Aligarh on May 24. At around 8:30 am, the meat-laden pick-up vehicle was intercepted at the Sadhu Ashram near the Harduaganj police station. Hindutva outfits claimed that they had been tipped-off about beef smuggling taking place on the route. The FIR mentions VHP leader Rajkumar Arya and BJP leader Arjun Singh amongst the 13 accused identified by name.
Salim alleged that the four men were forcibly pushed out of the vehicle. The bill of the purchased meat was allegedly torn and thrown away. They were allegedly told to pay an amount to be set free. “When Aqeel and his cousin refused to pay the money,” Salim said, “their car was vandalized, overturned, and set on fire.” The attackers allegedly robbed the mobile phones and money of the four men. The meat was thrown on the road, videos of the attack show. Three of them, according to Salim, were left in a near-death situation. The assailants only left after the arrival of the police. However, some videos show that the assault continued even after the police came.
SP Amrit Jain told reporters that the meat was sent for sampling. He added that the four men were rescued and admitted to a hospital – Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital – by the police, and that all allegations are being investigated.
This story was originally published in thewire.in. Read the full story here.