The settlement came up when refugees from various camps in Delhi gathered here, hoping to start life afresh. It now has a population of around 110 people, with most of them working as rag pickers. (Indian Express file photo)
Members of 45 Rohingya families residing on the outskirts of Mujeri village in Ballabgarh, Haryana’s Faridabad district, were assaulted allegedly by local people who objected to their plan to slaughter two buffalo calves on the occasion of Bakrid, reports the Indian Express.
Residents of the settlement say the conflict started on Friday evening after a couple of villagers confronted them when they spotted two buffalo calves tied to a tree near the settlement.
“They became aggressive and warned us that they would not let us kill the animals. We did not want any trouble so we assured them that we would take the calves back to the market and sell them on Saturday.”
But around 5 am on Saturday, before the refugees could take the animals to the market, a group of “15 or 20 men” came – some on bikes, others by foot – and allegedly assaulted them.
“An FIR has been registered under relevant sections of the IPC, and we are in the process of identifying the accused,” said Hanif Qureshi, Commissioner of Police, Faridabad. “Teams have been constituted to probe the incident, and we are hopeful of making some early arrests.”
Rohingyas are Muslims who have had to flee from Myanmar to escape large scale prosecution.
Read the full Indian Express report.