Three Muslim men transporting seven buffaloes to a cowshed in Sagar district from Damoh were allegedly assaulted by a group of men allegedly belonging to Hindutva outfit after being stopped on their way to transport the buffaloes. The trio was allegedly tied up, stripped down to their undergarments, and beaten with rods, sticks, and axes.
Videos of the incident that travelled the internet showed the three men being tied up and beaten by the group, accusing them of stealing cattle. The men are identified as Abid Qureshi, Hasan Qureshi, the traders, and their pickup driver, Hussain Khan. In the video the three could be seen injured, with blood oozing out from the head of the two of them.
The incident occurred on October 26 in Hardua village under the Hindoriya police station limits while Abid Qureshi and Hasan Qureshi were on their way for their trade work with the pickup driver.
“We were travelling in our vehicle in Damoh when some people standing near the bypass stopped us and asked what we were carrying. We told them there were buffaloes in the vehicle. Without checking the documents, they started pelting the vehicle with stones,” Abid Qureshi, in a feeble voice, told FoEJ Media.
“We ran for our lives. Meanwhile, they began calling more people to the spot. We kept running wherever we could find space to escape. They then blocked our way by placing a tractor in front of our vehicle, forcing us to abandon it and flee on foot,” chronicling the horror of the incident, he added.
“They then caught hold of us, tied us up with ropes, and beat us with axes and iron rods. They also dragged us along while we were tied up,” Qureshi said.
The incident sent shudders to the trio, making them believe they would not be able to survive. “We feared we would be killed,” Qureshi said.
“By the grace of Allah, I survived,” he said, taking a breath of relief. “I have sustained injuries across his body, including a fracture in his leg,” he said.
“We knew we had done nothing wrong and had always conducted our work honestly. We never imagined that anyone would harm us or that something like this could happen to us,” he said, talking about how he never fathomed something like this could happen to them.
Family Alleges Denial of Medical Treatment, No Action Against Accused
Weeks after the incident, the family of Abid Qureshi said that “no one is listening to us, and no action is being taken.”
Recalling the day, the family said, “We came to know about the incident through a video. Abid’s wife and mother kept fainting repeatedly. They have now recovered somewhat and are resting.”
“A boy from the village showed us a video and asked, ‘Are these your family members?’” the family revealed.
“The hospital staff initially refused to admit them. We suspect they were under pressure from Bajrang Dal members not to provide treatment when we arrived,” the family claimed.
Continuing to tell about the incident, the family said, “We then went to Jabalpur, but nothing came of it there either. So, we eventually arranged for Abid to receive treatment at a private facility.”
The family further alleged that the members of the mob have seized the phones of Abid and Husssain, their driver.
Abid and Hasan , as per the family, were primarily milk traders and used to sell off the non-lactating buffalo.
“They have been doing this for several years,” the family said.
Damoh Additional Superintendent of Police Sujit Singh Bhadoria confirmed the incident, which occurred under the Hindoriya police station limits. “Our local outpost in charge received information about cruelty with cattle, after which a team was sent to the spot, which seized a pick-up vehicle and seven buffaloes. A case of cruelty with animals was registered against five persons,” Damoh Additional Superintendent of Police Sujit Singh Bhadoria said, confirming the incident, as reported by The New Indian Express.
“Later, based on a viral video showing some men being attacked by a group of men, a case under multiple BNS sections has been lodged against unidentified accused, and efforts are underway to identify them and nab them,” Bhadoriya said.
