In the Hardoi area of Uttar Pradesh, a mob of roughly 30 Muslim attackers broke into Mashal Singh’s home on Sunday, February 5. The mob attacked with sticks and rods and hurled stones as well. Five members of Mashal Singh’s family suffered injuries from the attack. A woman was also injured. A case has been registered by the police, and an investigation has been initiated on the basis of Mashal Singh’s complaint. The victim’s family has claimed that the police did not take strict action against the accused.
The incident took place in the Majhila police station limits. In his complaint, victim Mashal Singh stated that he was while he was returning home from the fields on February 5, Aseer Ahmed, Nabi Ahmed, Pappu Khan, Guddu Khan, Puttan Khan, Chutna Khan, Arshad, and Razi Ahmed attacked him with a stick and rod. As per the complaint, Mashal ran toward his home to escape the assault. Reportedly, the accused Aseer Ahmed is the head of the village (Gram Pradhan).
The complaint states that when the accused saw Mashal Singh rushing towards his home, they all followed suit, along with 25 other unidentified attackers. All of the assailants are said to have stormed into Mashal Singh’s home and started fighting with Mashal’s family members. The attackers are also alleged to have used licensed firearms and pistols in addition to sticks. Along with Vivek Singh, Man Singh, and Shivam Singh, Laxmi Singh also sustained injuries in this attack. Mashal Singh said that the attackers also heavily damaged three of his motorcycles.
The victim claims that the accused fled their family members following the uproar in the village. On their way out, the attackers allegedly threatened the victim’s family with severe consequences. In this case, the police have filed an FIR against 25 unidentified attackers, including 8 candidates. Under IPC sections 147, 148, 149, 323, 427, 452, and 504, a case has been filed against the accused. The video of the attack went viral on social media. In the viral video, the assailants can be seen hurling stones.
‘We are the only Kshatriya, Muslims want us to leave the village’
OpIndia spoke to the victim, Mashal Singh. Mashal Singh expressed his discontent with the police operation, claiming that two suspects were caught and then released. Mashal Singh claims that despite having a police guard posted at his home, none of the accused have been apprehended yet. When asked about the motive behind the attack, Mashal Singh, one of the victims, said his village is 20 per cent Hindu and 80 per cent Muslim and the Muslims want them to leave as they are the only Kshatriya family in the village. Mashal Singh also asserted that local Muslims often harassed the members of the OBC and SC communities.
According to the victim, the Muslim population in his village had drastically increased during the previous 30 years. He said that no one knows from where and how people from outside settled here. Mashal says that he has purchased a truck to bear the family’s means of subsistence and that when it is brought to the village, chickens are left in front of it to be crushed. Later, it is allegedly done to extort the increased price of chickens. Mashal Singh was receiving medical attention for his injured family members in Sitapur, a neighbouring district of Hardoi, as he spoke to OpIndia.