Three held for assaulting Muslim driver in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur granted bail

Amounting to assault, on August 13, three people with affiliations to the Vishva Hindu Parishad in Uttar Pradesh were booked for allegedly thrashing an e-rickshaw driver from the Muslim community in Kanpur. The alleged perpetrators were later released on bail in less than 24 hours after their arrest. The accused men were charged for physically restraining the Muslim driver and forced him to parade while chanting "Jai Shri Ram", as suggested by reports of local police.

In video footage of the incident that took place in Kacchi Basti locality in the Barra area of the city, the 45-year-old Muslim e-rickshaw driver, Asrar Ahmad is visibly parading on streets after coercion and assault. In heartwarming visuals, Ahmed's daughter was spotted clinging on to him and pleading with the accused to spare her father. The audacity of the alleged culprits was evident when they thrashed the Muslim driver despite being handed over to cops. As the personnel escorted him, he was heckled by another man in the lane.

Muslim rickshaw driver thrashed and forced to chant Jai Shri Ram in Uttar Pradesh

An FIR has been registered against 5 identified persons and about 8 to 10 unidentified accused (group of men) in Kanpur for allegedly physically assaulting Ahmad and forcing him to chant a verse from texts of Hindu religion. They were booked for rioting, criminal intimidation, and voluntarily causing hurt under statutory provisions. However, they have been released on August 13 on a bail bond.

A one-minute video of the spine-chilling incident caused by extremists sporting saffron scarves was widely shared and criticised on social media platforms. Basis a complaint by the victim, a case had been registered against the culprits who assaulted and heckled Ahmad as apparent in the video.

Kanpur Police Commissioner Asim Arun had stated that Ahmad was rescued after police took control of the fiasco wherein three men were arrested during the night of August 12. The Muslim rickshaw driver was later taken to the police station in Kacchi Basti locality and medical attention was provided thereafter. 

3 arrested for thrashing Muslim rickshaw driver in Kanpur

"One of the arrested, Aman Gupta, has affiliation to the Vishnva Hindu Parishad. Besides Gupta, the two others arrested are Rajesh, alias Jay and Rahul. The accused are residents of Barra area and aged between 25 and 30 , the police said

While speaking to PTI, DCP (South) Raveen Tyagi said that once the viral video came to their notice, they took cognizance and registered an FIR under relevant sections of the IPC. She further informed that several teams were on the lookout to identify and book the culprits. 

After the arrests were made, reportedly, some people associated with extreme Hindu outfits sat on dharna outside the DCP office and left only after police convinced the lot to end the sit-in.