A 55-year-old Muslim man was allegedly beaten for reading the Bhagvad Gita by people of his own community in Uttar Pradesh’s Shahjamal area of Aligarh on Thursday, 4 July.
Two people were taken into custody after the incident.
WHAT HAPPENED
Dilsher, who has been reading the scripture since 1979, alleged that while he was perusing the text in his house, two men, Zakir and Samir, barged in and beat him.
They also broke his harmonium, took away the scripture and warned him to not read the Hindu book or else he would face dire consequences, IANS reported.
“I have been reading Hindu scriptures since 1979. They said they would shoot me if I continue this. They took away my Ramayana and Gita,” Dilsher told ANI.
“I’ve been receiving such threats since long but I had to come here (police station) since I have received several death threats and they came to thrash me as well. They are from my community only. They say they’ll destroy my entire family. I don’t know what’s their problem.”Dilsher to ANI
THE CASE SO FAR
Both the accused were produced in court on Friday, 5 July, and were remanded to judicial custody, The Times of India reported.
“We have registered a case on the basis of his complaint. Two persons have been arrested,” Vishal Pandey, Circle Officer, Aligarh, told ANI.
Dilsher, who works as a security guard, said, “Reading the scriptures gives me mental peace. However, I face protests from my own community from time to time.”
A case has been registered against Samir, Zakir and some unidentified persons at Delhi Gate police station under Sections 298 (uttering words etc., with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of any person), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 452 (house-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC.
(With inputs from IANS, TOI and ANI)
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