A 40-year-old Muslim auto-rickshaw driver named Mahmud Alam fell victim to a violent attack and verbal abuse when a mob of approximately 20 individuals allegedly associated with Hindutva groups confronted him.
This distressing incident unfolded in the capital city of Ranchi on Tuesday, reported Muslim Mirror.
Alam recounted the harrowing ordeal in his formal complaint lodged at the Lalpur police station. He stated, “While I was ferrying passengers, a group of 15-20 people assaulted me, destroyed my mobile phone, and robbed Rs 1500 from me. I managed to escape to save my life, as they seemed intent on taking it.”
Alam explained that the attackers confronted him while he was transporting passengers. One of them forcibly seized control of his vehicle while the others demanded money. As he began complying with their demands, the situation escalated rapidly, resulting in a violent assault. Despite his efforts to flee, he was captured and subjected to severe physical abuse.
“They forcibly removed my beard, struck me with whatever objects they could find, with one person even using a bat and another a pipe. I sustained a deep head injury,” detailed Alam, who had been working as an auto-rickshaw driver for 15 years and had never previously encountered such a traumatic attack.
Dr. Tariq Hussain, the secretary of Anjuman Islamia, Ranchi, expressed deep concern upon hearing about Mahmud Alam’s assault. Following a visit to Alam’s residence, he remarked, “He suffered brutal injuries, including head trauma and injuries to other parts of his body. Blood was coming out from his mouth.” Dr. Hussain raised an issue with the medical report from Sadar Hospital, noting that it only described the injuries as “reddish” without providing adequate specifics. He called for a more comprehensive and accurate report to ensure justice for the victim.
Dr. Hussain stressed the need for justice, saying, “The culprits must be held accountable to prevent such incidents from recurring.”
Leaders from the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) in the state also visited Mahmud Alam and demanded swift action against the perpetrators. They called on “secular leaders” to take note of the incident.
Samir Ali, the state secretary of AIMIM, strongly condemned the incident and attributed such occurrences to the endorsement of certain elements by a particular political party.
He stated, “Such incidents persist because a specific party promotes such elements, even honoring them upon their release from jail. Measures should be taken to restrict such groups.” Ali pointed out that in 2018, former Union Minister and BJP leader Jayant Sinha had felicitated and garlanded eight cow vigilantes who had been convicted in the Ramgarh lynching case and subsequently released on bail.