Camera and video editing: Anthony Sanu Rozario
On 10 May, members of a Kashmiri Muslim family residing in New Delhi alleged they were beaten up by multiple residents of their colony, following a long-standing squabble over feeding stray dogs.
The Kashmiri family claims the incident took place on 10 May, inside the premises of Siddharth Extension in South-East Delhi, when they were surrounded by neighbours who assaulted them without any immediate provocation.
What was initially reported as a fight between residents over the rising menace of stray dogs soon attained a communal colour, after a letter written by the Flat Owners Association of the society to the prime minister became public.
While some members of the FOA were arrested on charges of molesting the Kashmiri woman and are now out on bail, the relatives of the accused has been misusing its connections in the J&K government to threaten them. The police maintain that the fight is not communal in nature, and is solely based on the feeding of stray dogs by the Kashmiri family.
The Quint spoke to all stakeholders in the story, in order to understand the various theories that have been put forward in the wake of the alleged assault.
Siddharth Extension: a Colony of Disputes
The 35-year-old Kashmiri woman claims she was sexually assaulted by multiple men while some women held her back on 10 May. She has been residing in Pocket C of Siddharth Extension for over 10 years. Her father, a retired IAS officer from the Jammu and Kashmir cadre, had been transferred from Srinagar when they were in junior school.
The family settled in a rented apartment at the colony and till 2012, didn’t face any hostility from other residents. Things started going downhill when, in 2012, the family was allegedly abused and insulted by Nalin Tripathi, a prominent resident with close ties to the FOA.
It all started in 2012 when Tripathi started abusing us for feeding dogs. By 2015, he had started forming groups and instigating others around us.Brother of the Kashmiri woman
The family says things went out of control, when, in February 2018, Nalin Tripathi’s cousin Naveen allegedly assaulted the sister of the Kashmiri woman, following which a case was registered by the family.
However, the Tripathi family claims that the incident took place when Naveen came to attend a prayer-meeting with his wife and children, but was instead assaulted by the sister of the Kashmiri woman.
The Tripathis also claim that their daughter-in-law Sangeeta Tripathi had filed a complaint with the police after the Kashmiri woman’s brother had allegedly disrupted a meeting of the society’s governing body.
‘Kashmiri Extremists Go Away!’
According to the alleged victim, she was walking to her sister’s house on the night of 10 May when she saw a mob of 40 residents approaching her. She claims that Nalin Tripathi asked the mob to catch her and ensure that she’s not let-off.
Some men in the mob tried to touch me inappropriately, while women held me back and encouraged them to molest me further. They called us Kashmiri extremists and asked us to leave this place.Kashmiri Woman
She claims her sisters, brother and his fiance too were beaten up, when they tried to fight the crowd off and pull her out.
‘She Inflicted Injuries on Her Own Self’
The narrative of what transpired that night changes completely when one speaks to the alleged members of the mob. Nishank Tripathi says that a female member of their house, Sangeeta Tripathi, had gone out for a walk, when men surrounded her from all sides. When she tried to resist, they pushed her and she fell on a car.
It was only after she raised a voice, Tripathi says, that other residents came out gathered around. So, according to him, the mob, which the Kashmiri woman alleges molested her, was just a spontaneous gathering of Tripathis’ concerned neighbours.
The lady (the Kashmiri woman) sits on the road and starts hitting herself, sayingmaaro maaro mujhe, inflicting injury to her own self. The lady then went on to grab a man from the society, so that her family members could capture it on their mobiles, thereby making it seem like case of molestation.Nishank Tripathi, Son of Nalin Tripathi
The Kashmiri family claims that both Nalin and Sangeeta have been absconding since the incident. This publication could not reach either of the two, when it visited their residence on 14 May. Family members of the two told The Quint that Nalin and Sangeeta were busy attending to more pressing issues.
In FOA Letter to PM, Family’s Terror Link Alleged
In a letter dated 2 April 2018, members of the Flat Owner’s Association had written to the prime minister, urging him to investigate the ‘suspicious’ activities of the Kashmiri family. The letter speculated that the family could be “harbouring terrorists” and is aiming to destroy kafirs.
When asked about the letter, RN Tripathi, father of Nalin Tripathi and a retired advocate, says concerns expressed in the letter are genuine. Members of the Kashmiri family, according to him, come out only in the night to feed dogs. He feels feeding dogs and thereby attracting them in large numbers ensures that other residents are trapped inside their homes.
This, he asserts, allows them to carry on their suspicious activities without much attention. He also adds that the family starts moving about the colony only after midnight, and often receives visitors in the wee hours.
Responding to terror allegations in the FOA letter, members of the Kashmiri family say they are being targeted to divert attention from a range of issues they’ve been raising in the colony. The issues, they say, include illegal construction, encroachment and maintenance of roads, which according to them, have irked the FOA and its associates. They also say that a police officer had visited their premises, but found nothing suspicious.
‘Terrorised by Dogs, Not By Kashmiri Muslim Family’
Residents who are not linked to the FOA say they have no idea about the terror angle as mentioned in the letter to the prime minister. They, however, say that the dog menace is very much real.
Taking her infant out on a pram, Pooja says it’s impossible for her to step out without taking a security guard along. She points to a corner along the road, where a pack of 10 dogs, she says, unleash terror every night after 7 pm.
She is seconded by SMK Subhani, who avoids going out in the night, after dogs tugged at his trousers a couple of months back.
50 Complaints Over the Last 12 Years
Over the last twelve years, there have been over 50 police complaints between the Kashmiri family and other members of the FOA. As a person close to the Tripathi family concedes, “The FOA was so frustrated with the family that it could have gone slightly overboard in wording the letter,” quickly adding “that the family was milking this letter, to conceal their disrespect for society rules”.
In the viral video, which captures only a part of the incident, men and women can be seen standing with sticks. However, we do not see them beating the Kashmiri woman. Although unknown persons can be heard using foul language in the video, no regional or communal slurs can be heard.
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