Gujarat: Muslim mob assaults Dalit family with ‘Allahu Akbar’ slogans for objecting to recording videos when women were changing clothes
A Muslim mob reportedly assaulted a Dalit family from Surat who were visiting a reservoir in Thuti village, located in the Uchchhal area of Tapi district. The women were bathing along the banks of the Ukai dam reservoir and were changing their clothes. However, some Muslim youths were seen recording their video. When the family objected to filming and asked to respect the privacy of the women, they were assaulted. Furthermore, a group of 15 Muslims subsequently attacked them in the hospital and on the road.
An FIR (First Information Report) has been lodged at Uchchhal Police Station on the basis of a complaint. OpIndia has a copy of the official complaint. According to the complaint, the incident transpired on 18th May. Sections 115(2), 117(2), 189(2), 190, 191(2), 191(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 135 of the Gujarat Police (GP) Act have been invoked against 15 unidentified individuals of the Muslim community.
Accusation of capturing video of women and assault
According to the allegations, Pratap Singh Chauhan, a Dalit man employed as a driver in the emergency ward of Kiran Hospital in Surat, along with his family and neighbors, traveled to the Ukai dam reservoir in Thuti village of Uchhal taluka by bike and car. They were accompanied by women and children. They went to bathe in a reservoir in the afternoon. According to the complaint, after exiting the bathing, one of the women was changing her clothes behind a bedsheet.
As per the complaint, the family noticed that some Muslim individuals were filming the woman. Furthermore, an individual accompanying the complainant was assaulted by the Muslim men. Once the incident came to light, all members of the Dalit family came together and requested the Muslim youth to refrain from making the video. However, the accused attacked the family members. Moreover, when the latter checked the mobile phone of one of the offenders, they found no video present, but the other one did not allow them to examine his device.
Afterward, the confrontation ended and the Muslim men exited the area. However, shortly after, at approximately 4 pm, the Muslims accompanied by a group of 15 to 20 other members of their community returned armed and initiated a direct assault. It is reported that a member of a Hindu family sustained serious injuries during the attack and was subsequently transported to Songadh Hospital.
On their way to Songadh, two other members of the Muslim mob came onto the road and began to target the vehicle. According to the complaint, following this incident, the Dalit family members made their way to the Hospital where the wounded were given first aid and subsequently admitted to Kiran Hospital. However, it is charged that a Muslim mob gathered at the hospital and created a scene.
Accusations against the police
A video showcasing the victim family has gone viral on social media in which they recount their harrowing experience. A young man revealed that when he visited the Songadh police, they responded, “It’s a good thing you survived, otherwise, the Muslims of Songadh would have killed you.” Furthermore, in the video, someone has likened this incident to the Pahalgam terror attack.
The woman also recalled her experience and stated that as she was changing her clothes, two Muslim men and a Muslim woman began to record her from above. When the family questioned them, the youth came down and started to argue. Furthermore, another person also shared the incident in the video.
‘Mob raised Allahu Akbar slogans’, says victim family
In an interview with OpIndia, Pratap Singh Chauhan, reported that a Muslim mob assaulted his family while shouting “Allahu Akbar.” The attack also resulted in injuries to women and children. Additionally, a group of Muslims congregated at Songadh Hospital and issued threats. He further mentioned that the Songadh police earlier accepted a complaint lauched by the perpetrators in the matter.
A local Hindu organization official Chandan Singh Gohil informed OpIndia that one of the accused is a Muslim individual who serves as a local councilor. He also mentioned that the latter has previously been involved in several crimes and on one occasion, the police even organized his public procession. He informed that the Muslim mob filed a false complaint against the family and the police even accepted the same.
Singh added that the culprits are strongmen of Songadh. Only two months ago, one of the accused and his father were paraded in a procession by the police. Furthermore, accusations were made concerning their role in a murder case. He also criticized the local police. He indicated that a councilor was part of the group that arrived to confront which swayed the police’s action in their favour.
The Hindu leader indicated that when the accused became aware of the intention to file a case, they swiftly went to the police station to lodge a complaint claiming that the Dalit family had molested a Muslim woman. He voiced, “There is no rationale behind this complaint. Since Hindu men were present with their wives, children, and families, how could they have acted in such a manner?” He also accused the police of registering complaints in succession with the intention of settling the issue.
Police pressure on Hindu man
Gohil mentioned that for the majority of the time, this instance went unnoticed. However, after a day or two, a Hindu individual filmed the victim’s family and shared it on social media, leading to the incident gaining attention in Gujarat. The person who captured the video hailed from Surat. Gohil stated that the Police Inspector of the relevant area in Surat began to exert pressure him, ultimately resulting in deletion of the footage.
However, it already gained significant traction online through alternative channels and subsequently came to the attention of Vishva Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal. The video continues to circulate widely on social media. The authorities have initiated action regarding the issue and received complaints from both parties. In a conversation with OpIndia, the Police Inspector of Uchchhal police station stated that following the incident, six individuals have been apprehended for rioting, and two complaints have been lodged against them.
Notably, several days have passed since this incident and two days since the video went viral, however, no information has surfaced in any media regarding the case. There are probably two likely explanations behind this. One is that the media is intimidated by the accused councilor, who has significant influence and the second is that the police themselves are suppressing the matter. It is difficult to ascertain what the truth is. Nevertheless, it is evident that efforts have been made and are ongoing to conceal the incident.
Read the report in Gujarati here.
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