In a major development in the Karnataka assault case where a shopowner Mukesh was physically assaulted for playing ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ in his shop, the Karnataka Police has filed an FIR against him. The FIR was filed on March 27 at the Halasuru Gate police station based on the counter-complaint of Mah Jabeen, mother of Suleman, an accused in this case.
As per reports, Mah Jabeen filed a counter-complaint against victim Mukesh on 18th March. Incidentally, in her complaint, she alleged that Mukesh assaulted her son and his friends when they questioned him for playing loud “music” during Namaz in a nearby mosque.
Based on her complaint, the police filed a non-cognizable report and approached the jurisdictional court. Subsequently, an FIR was registered against Mukesh on 27th March based on the court’s direction.
According to a report in the Deccan Herald, the FIR states that Suleman and his friends questioned the shopkeeper about the loud sound as it was affecting 3,000 people offering prayers for Ramzan. The shopkeeper, Mukesh, assaulted Suleman and his friends and abused them.
However, the Halasuru gate police said that Mukesh is yet to be summoned for an inquiry.
The FIR has been lodged against Mukesh under various sections of IPC including Section 323 (causing hurt), Section 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), and IPC 506 (criminal intimidation).
Sharing an update about the case, a police officer said that Suleman, Shanavaz, Rohith, Danish, Taruna, and other accused were released on bail a few days ago.
#WATCH | Karnataka: An altercation occurred between a group of people and a shopkeeper last evening during 'Azaan' time when a shopkeeper played a song loudly near Siddanna Layout, in Bengaluru. A few Muslim youths questioned him, and an argument ensued, leading to them hitting… pic.twitter.com/L0f0rxlfSR
— ANI (@ANI) March 18, 2024
The incident came to light when the video of the incident went viral on social media in which a group of miscreants were seen assaulting a shopowner in Siddannagalli. The victim, Mukesh later revealed that the accused assaulted him for playing ‘Hanuman Chalisa’, however, Police had maintained that there was no communal angle involved in this case. On 17th March, he filed an FIR in this matter.
Following the incident, BJP leaders staged a massive protest demanding strict action in this case. Regarding the miscreant’s claim that it was time for Azaan, Mukesh added that he attempted to persuade them that there was still time for Azaan, but they refused to hear him and grabbed him by the neck. When Mukesh stepped out of his shop to confront them, the accused started beating him up and threatened to stab him with a knife, he said.
Slamming the Congress government in the state, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya asserted that under the Congress government, FIRs are deliberately filed in such a manner that the main issue is removed. He added that had people not intervened in this case, the Hanuman Chalisa angle would not have been included in the FIR making it a dummy FIR.
ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ ನ ಆಡಳಿತದಲ್ಲಿ ಹಿಂದೂಗಳನ್ನು ತೃತೀಯ ದರ್ಜೆಯ ನಾಗರಿಕರನ್ನಾಗಿ ಪರಿಗಣಿಸಲಾಗುತ್ತದೆ.
— Tejasvi Surya (ಮೋದಿಯ ಪರಿವಾರ) (@Tejasvi_Surya) March 18, 2024
ನಿನ್ನೆ ಪುಂಡರಿಂದ ಹಲ್ಲೆಗೆ ಒಳಗಾದ ನಂತರ ಪೊಲೀಸ್ ರಿಗೆ ದೂರು ಸಲ್ಲಿಸಲು ತೆರಳಿದಾಗ,ಕರ್ಕಶ ಶಬ್ದಕ್ಕೆ ದಾಂಧಲೆಯಾಗಿದೆ ಎಂದು ನಮೂದಿಸಿಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದಾರೆ.
ಇಂದು ನನ್ನೊಂದಿಗೆ ಮುಕೇಶ್ ರನ್ನು ಹಲಸೂರು ಪೊಲೀಸ್ ಠಾಣೆಗೆ ಕರೆದುಕೊಂಡು ಹೋಗಿ, ಹೊಸ… pic.twitter.com/LOvdLBKdwN
Later, on 19th March, many BJP leaders and members of Hindu organisations staged a massive protest in Central Bengaluru’s Nagarthpete area to express solidarity with the victim, Mukesh.
Following these developments, the mother of one of the accused Suleman, filed a counter-complaint accusing Mukesh of assaulting the group.
