2 held for trashing Muslim bangle seller in Indore

Police arrested two people on Monday for allegedly thrashing a 25-year-old Muslim bangle seller in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore town and later booked the Muslim man under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. The incident took place on Sunday when the complainant, Taslim Ali, was selling bangles in the Govind Nagar area, police said. A total of 14 people were booked, with Ali alleging that an FIR was filed only late on Sunday after some Muslims protested outside the police station. Late in the evening, police said a 13-year-old girl filed a complaint alleging Ali introduced himself as “Golu, son of Mohan Singh” to sell bangles at her home and touched her inappropriately.

BHOPAL : Police arrested two people on Monday for allegedly thrashing a 25-year-old Muslim bangle seller in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore and later booked him for allegedly touching a teenager inappropriately.

The thrashing incident, a video of which went viral on social media, took place on Sunday when the complainant, Taslim Ali, was selling bangles in Govind Nagar area, police said.

Ali, a resident of Uttar Pradesh, alleged he was accosted by a group of unidentified men who started beating him after finding out that he was a Muslim.

He added that an FIR was registered late on Sunday only after a few members of his community protested outside Banganga police station. “After asking my name, they frisked me and abused me. Later, they brutally thrashed me. They also looted ₹10,000 from me...,” Ali alleged.

Madhya Pradesh home minister Narottam Mishra claimed the victim was using a fake identity, passing himself off as Hindu. “The man was selling bangles by changing his name. People recovered two Aadhaar cards from his possession with a Hindu name and thrashed him. But they cannot take law into their own hands, so we have registered a case against them.”

A total of 14 people were booked. “We registered an FIR only after confirming the incident. We will identify the culprits to nab them soon. We have also registered a case against the protesters for not maintaining peace,” Indore inspector general of police HN Mishra said.

Ashutosh Bagri, superintendent of police, Indore east, said: “There was no delay in FIR. After recording the statement of eyewitnesses and the complainant, an FIR was registered.”

Late in the evening, police said a 13-year-old girl filed a complaint alleging Ali introduced himself as “Golu, son of Mohan Singh” to sell bangles at her home on Sunday and after describing her as “very beautiful”, he touched her inappropriately. When the girl raised an alarm, the bangle seller tried to escape, but was caught and thrashed by locals, police added.

A case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and IPC sections 420 (cheating) and 471 (using fake documents as real ones), among others, was registered against Ali, police said.