By ASFAQUE KAYAMKHANI / SIKAR
Rajasthan Police have arrested two people for mercilessly beating up a 52-year-old Muslim auto rickshaw driver in Sikar after he refused to chant “Modi zindabad” and “Jai Shree Ram”.
The two men who attacked him also pulled his beard and asked him to “go to Pakistan”, the victim said.
According to the police, the two accused have been arrested after an FIR was lodged by Ghaffar Ahmad Kacchawa, who also said the duo stole his wristwatch and money. Kachhawa was left with broken teeth, a swollen eye and bruises on cheek.
“Following the FIR was lodged, we arrested two people yesterday-Shambhudayal Jat, 35, and Rajendra Jat,30. Preliminary investigation suggests that these two men had parked their vehicle and were consuming alcohol when they stopped Kacchawa, misbehaved and assaulted him,” said Pushpendra Singh, station house officer, Sadar police station, Sikar.
“At around 4 am on Friday, my uncle was returning after dropping off passengers to a nearby village when two men who were in a car stopped him and asked for tobacco. However, they declined to take the tobacco that my uncle offered and asked him to say Modi zindabad,” said Shahid, a relative of Kacchawa.
In the FIR registered by the police, Kacchawa said that the men hit him when he refused to comply.
“One of the men asked me to chant the slogan ‘Modi zindabad’ and I refused… Then he slapped me hard. I took my taxi and tried to flee towards Sikar. But they followed me on their car and stopped my vehicle near Jagmalpura. They forced me to descend from the vehicle and they badly beat me up…The men abused me and forced me to chant ‘Modi zindabad’ and ‘jai shree Ram’,” Kacchawa said in his complaint. Kacchawa has also accused the two men of stealing Rs 700 from him along with his wristwatch.
“The men pulled my beard, kicked and punched me as a result of which 2-3 of my teeth broke…I sustained serious injuries on my left eye, cheek and head as they assaulted me with a stick. After beating me up, they said we will rest only after sending you to Pakistan,” Kacchawa said in the FIR.