GODHRA, GUJARAT: Police here have arrested four men for allegedly thrashing three Muslim youth for not chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogan.
The police have also caught hold of two minors in connection with the case.
The incident took place in Gujarat’s communally sensitive Godhra town.
The victims identified as Samir (17), and his friends Salman Gheeteli and Sohail Bhagat while addressing the media said that they were stopped by the accused on the road and were asked to chant ‘Jai Shree Ram‘.
Soon after they denied, the six persons started beating them with a bicycle chain and some other blunt object.
The Muslim youth were admitted to a hospital and are undergoing treatment.
It’s A Brawl: Police Claim
Sharing the details of the incident, Superintendent of Police (Panchmahal), Dr. Leena Patil told media that prima facie the case appears to be of a scuffle between two groups of youngsters.
Patil said, “We have registered a case under IPC section 324. As per our investigation, this is just a case of a scuffle. In the video, there is no exchange of words between them before the scuffle takes place.”
SP Patil also revealed that the police viewed video footage prior to the incident which showed a verbal scuffle between the two groups.
“We are still investigating but so far nothing of such sort has been revealed,” she added.
On July 30, a 17-year-old Khalid Ansari was allegedly set on fire in Uttar Pradesh’s Chandauli district for refusing to chant Jai Shree Ram, succumbed to his injuries. However, according to SP Chandauli, an eye witness had seen Khalid set himself ablaze.
Letter To Modi
Last month, a group of 49 celebrities, artists, intellectuals and professionals written an open letter to PM Modi against “religious identity-based hate crimes” over incidents of lynching in the country and said the slogan ‘Jai Shri Ram’ has reduced to a ‘war cry’