Koppal: A 62-year-old visually challenged Muslim man was reportedly assaulted by miscreants, allegedly demanding him to chant ‘Jai Sri Ram’ in Gangavathi town in Koppal district, Karnataka recently, reported Deccan Herald.
In his complaint with the Gangavathi town police station, the victim Hussain Sab said that a few bike-borne miscreants compelled him to board their bikes, took him to an isolated place and assaulted him. He also charged that the miscreants, most of them youths, took away his money and set his beard on fire after assaulting him on November 25 midnight.
An FIR regarding on this incident was filed on November 30 after people from the Muslim community came to know about the incident. Hussain Sab, in the complaint, said that the youths, not only abused him, but also made derogatory comments against his community. “They intended to kill me. They assaulted me with a beer bottle and were trying to smash my head with a stone. Shepherds in the neighbourhood came to my rescue,” he said in the complaint.
However, when speaking to Deccan Herald, police officials stated that this was a crime to loot money.
“While there are scratch marks on his back and other injury marks on his face, there are no signs of him being assaulted by a bottle. This looks more like an assault for money than communal reasons. We have not ruled out anything and investigations are on,” said Koppal Superintendent of Police Yashodha Vantagodi.