“Anil toh eenami badmash hain aur uska bhai Dharmender kuch kam nahi (Anil is a certified criminal and his brother Dharmender is no better),” 20-year-old Gaurav*, a resident of Naya Gaon, said about the two men who were seen in the forefront of the Gurugram mob attack on 21 March.
At least 25 Gujjar men from Naya Gaon stormed the home of Sajid Siddiqui in an attack that was filmed by his niece Daanishtha. The Gujjar men claim they were first beaten up by Sajid and his cousins, and brought in reinforcements because they were angry. However, the Muslims insist that the Gujjars began the dispute by disrupting their game. They also asked them to ‘Go to Pakistan and play’. They attacked the kids and women too.
The Quint found out that the two men (encircled in the image above) – Dharmender Badhana and Anil Badhana – are known to get into fights, run-ins with law and are infamous as gundas (goons) in Naya Gaon village. The brothers were on the run with their families till they were arrested on 25 and 26 March, respectively.
Villagers Told to ‘Not Speak Up’
When The Quint asked Naya Gaon villagers where the brothers lived for two days, everyone remained tight-lipped.
“We do not know where they live.”
“I have not heard anyone of this name in the village.”
“You are in the wrong place, they must be from another village.”
On several occasions, the reporter was misguided away from their home.
After some looking and re-looking, 35-year-old Munni*, whose relatives have also been rounded up by the police, said on the condition of anonymity, “They live opposite Mahesh’s home.”
“We have to stay in this village for the rest of our lives. If we open our mouth, then we will not be able to live in peace. We’ve all been told to not speak up. You do not know these two boys,” Munni* said while ensuring no one saw her talk to this reporter.
“About a year ago, an angry Anil hit his own cousin on the head with a stick because of a dispute over a drain overflowing along the street of their homes,” she explained.
Rumours of Anil having hit a cop are also rife in the village. “Dabang hai ye (They are rowdy men),” the 20-year-old boy said. Anil was allegedly present with Mahesh Kumar, the main accused, when the argument over the cricket game began. He has two children – one girl and one boy.
The villagers said Anil did not do anything for a living. He worked as a driver but since a year-and-a-half, he has not been doing any work as such, the villagers said.
His brother Dharmender, who is seen in this video with a lathi in his hand, would also pick regular fights in the village. “Both brothers were people the villagers preferred to stay away from,” Gaurav* said.
“He used to worked at a liquor shop close by, but then had a fight with one of them. Things turned ugly. Soon, he was jobless for a while and then recently began to work as a private driver for someone,” he said, adding that the brothers would often get drunk.
Pending Complaints With the Police
When The Quint contacted Gurugram PRO Subhash Boken to confirm if there were cases against either, Boken said, “Not against Dharmender but there have been cases against Anil. He is a proclaimed offender.”
A complaint was lodged against Anil in 2008 under Section 279 (rash driving), 337 (causing hurt) and 338 (causing grievous hurt) at the Badshahpur police station. Eight years later, a complaint was lodged against him under Section 174A of the IPC, which is registered when the accused fails to appear in the court and cooperate with the proceedings.
By 26 March, ten people were arrested by the Gurugram police. “Now, the total is 10. Arrests will be made in the coming days as well. People are beginning to stop running,” he said. Naya Gaon has remained tense since the incident. The accused, who initially felt they could get off the hook by being on the run, are surrendering one by one.
(*names changed to protect identity)
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