On July 8, a Muslim mob attacked a Baraat (wedding procession) of a Dalit man when it passed through the road in front of a mosque in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh. The incident took place at around 3 pm on Friday in the Bhojahedi village of Muzaffarnagar’s Purquazi Block. As per reports, the Muslim mob was irked by the music played in the Baraat, so they attacked the Baaratis with sticks and batons. The Muslims claimed that the loud music was frightening their goats.
The police reached the spot after they received information about the ruckus, however, the accused had fled by then. CO Sadar Hemant Kumar and Purkaji Kotwali in charge, however, managed to detain one accused.
Members of the bride’s family then reached the police station and lodged a complaint against four known and several unknown people. Based on the complaint filed by Ram Babu, the Muzaffarnagar police registered an FIR against Aas Mohammad, Danish, Monish, Shabnam, Mukarram, Jambu, Pindu and Aakil under relevant sections of the IPC. Sections of the SC/ST Act have also been invoked against the accused. The police are currently probing the case.
Meanwhile, heavy police force has been deployed in the area to avoid any further escalation. Anyone who attempts to further spread communal discord in the village would not be spared, said Hemant Kumar, CO Sadar.
In what transpired, the Groom’s family had come from the Harinagar village to get their son married to one Sandeep’s niece, a resident of Bhojahedi village of Muzaffarnagar’s Purquazi Block. Sandeep informed that around 3 pm on Friday, the Baraat was passing through a road in front of a mosque when some Muslim youths urged the Baraatis to stop playing the DJ music in front of their place of worship.
At their request, the Baraatis paused the music briefly but resumed playing it as the procession moved ahead. Suddenly a large group of Muslim youths armed with sticks and batons again accosted them and warned them against playing the DJ. They reportedly told the Dalit group that their goats were getting scared of the loud music.
The lame explanation infuriated the Dalits, who got into a fight with the Muslim group. They refused to stop playing the music which, in turn, enraged the Muslim youths who then attacked the Baraat with sticks and lathis.