On 5th August after Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan, people celebrated the day like Diwali across the country. Hindus celebrated the day by lighting diyas and candles in their houses to mark the celebration of the much-awaited occasion. Sadly, there were some areas where violence erupted because of the celebrations. A similar incident that happened in Street Number 4 of Madanpur Khadar area near Kalindi Kunj, Delhi has come to light.
According to a report published in Amar Ujala, the incident was related to some fights between children that went out of control. Adults were involved and both sides hurled stones, bricks, iron rods and swords. The reports said that police had arrested three people named Gagan, Mukesh and Deepak. It was also reported that Minnatullah Khan came to settle the case, but he was stabbed with swords by the people from the other side. He reportedly fainted and had to be hospitalized as a result of injures. This led to an FIR.
When OpIndia came to know about the incident, we tried to learn more about the case. We accessed a copy of the FIR lodged by Minnatullah Khan at the Kalindi Kunj police station. We also got a copy of the complaint from the other party.
Both sides have their own versions of the story. What is surprising in the case was that prompt action has already been taken on the FIR lodged by Minnatullah Khan, but the other side is still struggling for their FIR. No one is bothered about their request even a week after the incident.
Taking notice of the matter, we approached the other party and spoke the family who had been in the fight with some people of the particular community living in their area on the day of 5th August.
Jeetendra, a member of the family, said, “On 5th August, on the occasion of Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan, the children of our family were celebrating the occasion by lighting diyas outside the house. Some people came from Minnatullah Khan alias Buchi’s place and threatened the children. Minnatullah lives close to our house. They kicked the lamps as well. When women of our house noticed what was happening, they came to the rescue. But those men started arguing with them as well. Two men of the house (Mukesh and Gagan) also went there, and those people attacked them. When the matter escalated, they went away only to come back with 30-40 people in a few minutes.”
Jeetendra said, “The mob came back and attacked our house. They picked up bricks from the adjacent house and threw at us. They also threw the lamps placed outside our house and tried to burn the bike. When we contacted police in this matter, they came and took Mukesh and Gagan with them to the station. When we questioned, they informed us that a complaint had been lodged from the other side.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQVtziBMl1A (Video removed by YouTube)
OpIndia asked Jeetendra the reason behind the arrest of Mukesh and Gagan. He said, “ Actually, that day those men were misbehaving with the women of our family. Minnatullah Khan was going to kill our daughter Varsha using the handle of handpump, but she saved herself by placing her hand on the head. Gagan witnessed all this and got furious. He brought the old sword from his wedding and hit Khan with its handle.”
Jeetendra provided us with a video of the whole incident. He said that the other side specifically drew the attention of the police towards sword incident and got Gagan and Mukesh arrested. He alleged that the police did not even bother to talk to the family. Also, they arrested Deepak, who was not even present at the time of the fight. He came to the spot later, but police also took him and threw him in Tihar along with Mukesh and Gagan.
According to Jeetendra, Minnatullah Khan is a close aide of Aam Aadmi Party leader and MLA of the area Amanatullah Khan. There are several criminal cases registered against him. However, no action has been taken till date. According to him, when they asked the police, they told him that action is being taken based on the FIR of the other side.
Till the time OpIndia talked to the family, police had not registered any FIR based on their complaint. However, it has come to our notice that FIR has been finally registered on 11th August after six days of the incident.
OpIndia was informed that the Hindu family had to struggle a lot to get the FIR registered by the police. A copy of the FIR by Hindus is attached here. Only time will tell when and if any action is taken based on this FIR.
Opindia was told that after much struggle their complaint was finally registered by the police on 11 August 2020 as an FIR. A copy of the FIR lodged by Hindus is attached here. Now whatever action is taken on this will be known in the coming time.
What do the women of the house say?
Babita, wife of Gagan, said that on 5th August, the children of their house were celebrating Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan by lighting a diya. Then they went out to take laddus. But the children of the Muslims told them not to chant Ram-Ram but say Allah-Allah. According to Babita, “Our children refused to say Allah-Allah. Muslim children started beating them. Our children complained to us. By that time, they came from behind and attacked us. Meanwhile, our niece was also attacked. We went to save her, but they started beating us. They also threw stones at our house.”
According to Babita, the crowd from the other side caught her hand and tried to grope her too. They told Babita’s family that they would ruin their lives, and no one will be able to do anything.
Deepak’s mother also blamed Minnatullah Khan for the whole incident. Varsha, who was attacked with the handle of a handpump, said that she went out when they misbehaved with her brothers. But Minnatullah Khan’s men misbehaved with her, trying to touch her inappropriately.
She said that they only demand that action should be taken against Minnatullah Khan in this case at the earliest. If something happened to the children of their family, then he should be held responsible.
Role of Sagar Malik, Vice President, Sudarshan Vahini Organization, Delhi
Sagar Malik, Delhi State Vice President of Sudarshan Vahini Organization, is also demanding action from the police on this issue. He said that this incident took place to incite communal violence. Whatever the Hindu side did, it was done to protect the women of their house. Gagan attacked Minnatullah with a non-sharp sword only in self-defence.
Therefore, according to him, the case should have been filed on both sides. However, the police are taking action only on the complaint of the other side. Also, Gagan, Mukesh and Deepak were called to the station and thrown in jail.
Sagar alleged that due to the political pressure in this case, the police were not taking any action on the complaint of the Hindu side and threw people from their side in jail.
OpIndia’s effort to reach out to the police for comment
When OpIndia contacted police to get their view in the case, they asked us to contact DSP. When we tried getting in touch with DSP, he was not available. If we get any further statement from the police, we will update this report accordingly.
What is in the complaint FIR lodged by Minnatullah Khan?
In the FIR registered by MInnatullah Khan, he described himself as a social worker. He said that some people were lighting a lamp after Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan on 5th August. Then his elder son gets a call that Gagan slapped his younger son. He rushed to save, but he was also attacked with a hammer.
According to Minnatullah Khan, after learning about the incident, he went to ask Gagan why he attacked his elder son while the fight was between children.
But then Mukesh attacked him with the handle of a handpump. He protected his head using his left hand that got injured. After that, Gagan also brought a sword from his home and attacked him with an intention to kill him. Then many people, including Deepak and Sushil, came and started attacking them with bricks and stones, said Minntullah Khan.
Minnatullah said that he became unconscious as a brick hit his head. When he regained consciousness, he found himself in Apollo hospital. He has demanded in the FIR that there should be strict action against those who attacked his children.
The police have registered a case under section 307 and 34 on the Hindu side based on the complaint filed by Minnatullah Khan.
Who is named in the complaint registered by Hindu side?
In the complaint registered by the Hindu side, Minnatullah Khan alias Buchchi, Zoya, Saddam, Irfan, Chunna wife of Buchi, Kaushar and his wife, Usman Ali Mansuri, Salman, Sameer, Shah Rukh, Raja, Aman, Abdullah, Samuel Massey and others were named. They have asked for strict action against them.
In the complaint, they have alleged that Minnatullah Khan and others had beaten them up, pelted stones at their house, misbehaved with the women in the house, threw away the diyas and tried to set their bike on fire.
It is clearly written in the complaint that amid such a crowd, they felt helpless and tried to stop them from attacking and molesting women and young girls of the house. They also got injured while saving women.
The family also alleged in the complaint that the people from the other side are of criminal nature. They have several cases filed against them. They post photos with guns on Facebook. If something happens to the Hindu family, they should be held responsible for it.
What is in the video Opindia received?
OpIndia has received videos of the incident. We can see a large crowd of people hurdling stones at the house of the man who was making the video. The crowd was throwing big bricks and stones at their house. They also carried stones from an adjacent house and used them for the attack.
In another video, a young man was seen vandalizing a bike. Then diyas lit in the house were thrown, and the bike parked there was also vandalized. One person tried to explain, “Buchi Bhai bike meri hai (Buchi bhai this bike belongs to me),” but the rowdy crowd did not listen and continued to hurdle stones and abuses.
In one video, it was clearly seen that Gagn attacks Minnatullah Khan with a sword that he brought from his house and after that people started to run from the scene. Later, the other side pelted stones. Some women tried to pace down the situation, but the atmosphere did not calm down. Finally, a person from the house makes a video of the area, and someone asks him to put it on Facebook.
