By Team Clarion
PATNA — A Muslim student in Patna has alleged that he was abused, assaulted and threatened with death by a bike cab rider who targeted him because of his religion. The incident has raised concerns about the safety of minority students in the city.
The victim, Mohammad Akrama, a resident of East Champaran in Bihar, is currently studying in Patna. According to his account, the incident took place on the evening of April 14 between 7 pm and 8 pm when he booked a bike ride to purchase medicine for his sister.
Akrama said he used the Rapido application to book the ride due to the distance from his home to the market. A rider identified as Manish Mehta arrived and began the journey after verifying the OTP.
According to the victim, the situation took a disturbing turn during the ride when the driver allegedly asked about his religion.
“On the way, he asked me, ‘Are you a Muslim?’ I told him that I am a Muslim, but I believe in humanity and want to serve the country,” Akrama said.
He further alleged that the rider then began making offensive remarks about Islam and Muslims. “He started speaking against my religion. When I objected, he became angry,” he said.
Akrama claimed that the rider stopped the bike midway and began verbally abusing him using offensive and vulgar language related to his religion.
“When I resisted, he pulled me off the road and started abusing me. He became very aggressive and tried to assault me,” the student said.
The victim said he was left terrified during the incident and feared for his life.
He also alleged that the accused issued death threats. “He threatened to kill me. I was very scared because I am new to Patna and do not know the city well,” Akrama stated.
According to Akrama, the situation worsened when the rider allegedly assaulted him physically and took money from him.
This story was originally published in clarionindia.net. Read the full story here.