Two held for ‘assault’, forcing auto driver to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’
Police in Rajasthan’s Sikar district have arrested two people for allegedly assaulting a 52-year-old autorickshaw driver on Friday after he refused to chant “Modi zindabad” and “Jai Shri Ram”.
According to the police, the two accused have been arrested after an FIR was lodged by Gapphar Ahmad Kacchawa, who also claimed the duo stole his wristwatch and money. Kachhawa was left with broken teeth, a swollen eye and bruises on cheek.
“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 nephew of Kacchawa.
In the FIR registered by the police, Kacchawa said that the men slapped 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 Shri 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.
On the basis of Kacchawa’s complaint, the police on Friday registered an FIR under sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint), 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (criminal intimidation), 327 (voluntarily causing hurt to extort property, or to constrain to an illegal act), 382 (theft after preparation made for causing death, hurt or restraint in order to the committing of the theft) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the IPC.
“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.
Shahid said that his uncle is at present admitted in a government hospital in Sikar after sustaining multiple injuries.
