A 35 year old man on Tuesday was attacked by a Hindu mob when he was driving back home after work in Shera village in Gujarat’s Bharuch district.
A group of at least nine Hindutva men stone pelted at Mohammad Ataullah’s car, thrashed and forced him to chant Jai Shree Ram in Chhabanpur bridge, Godra.
Ataullah registered an FIR in A Division Police Station in Godhra against the attackers. However, the associates of the attackers have filed a counter-FIR against the victim, according to Maktoob Media.
Speaking of the Media, Ataullah said, “I’m the victim and they are presenting me as the criminal now. I can’t move my body and in this condition, they have come to arrest me.”
When he was returning to home after his work, Mohammad Ataullah, who runs a motorcycle repair shop said that his car was stopped by Hindutva men. He was hit on the head and punched in face.
“A car was stopped right behind my car. 3-4 men came out and started beating me. They pulled my beard. They abused me and called me a atankwadi [terrorist],” he alleged adding that he was forced to chant Jai Shree Ram.
When he refused to do so, Ataullah told Maktoob Media that “one of them went to the car, got a revolver and attacked me with the revolver’s butt. He then pointed the revolver to my head and threatened to me if I will not say ‘Jai Shree Ram’, he would kill me. He shouted that I don’t have the right to stay here [in India] and that I eat here and live here and don’t chant Jai Shree Ram.”
The hate crime survivor has been admitted in Godhra’s Govt Civil Hospital, since three days. He has an injury on his head and another over his right foot.
“I’ve been lying in the hospital for three days now. They pressurised us to take back the case. We did not. We complained to SP and police station regarding this. Now they have filed a counter-FIR against me,” Ataullah said.
Three people have been arrested in the case, so far, and one of them is a nephew of a local BJP leader, as per reports.
Ataullah’s family alleged that they have not been provided with a copy of the FIR. DySP Khatana hurled communal slurs at them, calling them “mulle”. “We called the SP [Superintendent of Police] and told her about this.” said Ataullah’s cousin, Mohammed Ilyas.
SP Neena Patil told Maktoob a phone call, “We have registered an FIR and a counter-FIR has also been registered at A Division Police Station. There was some scuffle between both the parties due to overtaking of vehicles. It is in a CCTV footage. And we have registered accordingly whatever has been briefed by the complainant.”
When asked the family’s allegations of anti-Muslim slurs directed at them by DySP Khatana, Patil said, “How can a DySP rank officer say this. All leaders were there… Muslim leaders were there.”
The alleged victim is the sole earning member of his family which comprises his wife, four children; all below 10 years, and father and mother.
