Aurangabad: Hindu couple rescues Muslim man from miscreants

AURANGABAD: A Hindu couple came to the rescue of a Muslim man after he was allegedly waylaid, beaten and forced to chant “Jai Shri Ram” by a group of 10 unidentified men in the Hudco Corner area of the city around 12.30am on Friday. This is the first such incident to have been reported from the Marathwada region of Maharashtra.
After victim Imran Ismail Patel, 28, approached the Begumpura police, the 10 unidentified men were booked under section 153(A) of the IPC (spreading communal hatred) and for unlawful assembly and rioting.
According to Patel, a waiter by profession, he was going home on his motorcycle when the group of men, who were also on motorbikes, waylaid him. They asked Patel questions before assaulting and forcing him to chant the slogan.
Hearing Patel’s cries for help, the Hindu couple rushed out of their house and pleaded with the attackers not to harm him. They also retrieved the keys of Patel’s motorcycle from the assaulters and ensured that he went home safely. When contacted, the couple refused to comment on the issue, saying they feared a backlash from the goons.
Taking cognisance of Patel’s complaint, deputy commissioner of police Nikesh Khatmode-Patil and crime branch inspector Madhukar Sawant spoke to him.
Speaking to TOI, Patel said, “The group snatched the keys of my motorcycle. They asked me several questions. Then they slapped me while forcing me to say ‘Jai Shri Ram’ thrice. Hearing my cries for help, the couple came to my rescue.” The couple also stopped one of the assaulters from hitting him on the head with a stone, Patel said. “They even misbehaved with the couple for coming to my rescue,” he added.
The couple also stopped one of the assaulters from hitting him on the head with a stone, said victim Imran Ismail Patel.