Hisar man accused of slapping Muslim youth in police net
Some unidentified people also booked; community for strict action; police deployed around mosque to maintain law, order
HISAR : Police have arrested the main accused and booked several other unidentified people for allegedly slapping a Muslim youth on Tuesday for not raising ‘Bharat Mata ki jai’ slogan during a Bajrang Dal protest against the Amarnath Yatra terror attack a day before. Addressing a press conference at the city police station on Wednesday evening, deputy superintendent of police (DSP, law and order) Jitender Singh said, “We have arrested the main accused, identified as Anil Kumar of Rishi Nagar area. We are interrogating the accused and investigation is on. The police will take further action after recording his statement.” On Wednesday, Muslim leaders under the banner of Muslim Kalyan Committee gathered at a mosque and demanded action against those responsible. Talking to mediapersons, Harphul Khan Bhatti, chief of the Hisar unit of Muslim Kalyan Committee, said, “The police have assured us that a strict action will be taken. If the police fail to arrest the accused, we will take the matter to the minority commission.” To maintain law and order situation, heavy police force was deployed around the mosque at Lahoriya Chowk located near Tuesday’s protest site where the youth was allegedly slapped. A case was registered under Sections 147 (guilty of rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly), 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language), 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion), 296 (disturbing religious assembly), 323 (voluntar- ily causing hurt) and 506 (criminal intimidation) on the complaint of the victim, Abid Hussian, a resident of Rajiv Nagar in Hisar, the police said. Superintendent of police (SP) Manisha Chaudhary said, “We have also received a video footage and the police will start identifying the other accused.” DSP Jitender Kumar assured the victim that they will arrest the accused soon. On Tuesday, the Bajrang Dal activists changed the protest venue and reached near the mosque where Abid Hussain was returning home after offering namaz. It was alleged that some Bajrang Dal activists started raising slogans of ‘Bharat Mata ki jai’ and asked Abid to do so. A verbal spat ensued between Abid with them someone slapped him and fled.
› We have also received a video footage and the police will start identifying the other accused. MANISHA CHAUDHARY, Hisar SP