On Sunday (17th December), Gujarat police reported that a Hindu woman, in a village in the Kheda district, was subjected to a brutal assault by Farooq Pathan after she refused to engage in an affair with him. Accused Farooq Pathan tried to even behead the victim woman on Thursday (14th December). The victim is currently hospitalised at SVP Hospital in Ahmedabad, while the accused, Farooq Pathan is absconding. A police complaint has been filed, leading to the registration of a case. The police launched an investigation into this case.
The incident took place in Sanadara village within the Galateshwar taluka of Kheda. The 33-year-old victim, residing in this village, got married in 2010 to a man from a nearby village. However, due to a dispute with her husband, she has been residing at her father’s house for the last three years. She is the mother of an 8-year-old son.
According to her official complaint, the victim reported that Farooq Abbas Pathan, a resident of her village for the past two months, had been persistently stalking and pressuring her to engage in a romantic relationship. Despite her repeated refusals, Farooq continued to pursue her, insisting on initiating a love affair.
On Thursday (14th December), at approximately 7 AM, Farooq Pathan abruptly approached the victim, hurling verbal abuse at her, including caste-related insulting remarks. Armed with a knife, Farooq Pathan attacked the victim’s neck. The victim tried to save herself with her hands during the assault. Consequently, serious wounds were inflicted on her wrists by the sharp-edged weapon.
At the time of the attack, the victim was accompanied by her sister-in-law. Farooq Pathan also targeted the sister-in-law, attempting to cause physical harm to her, the victim’s son, and father. He then fled from there. The family members also rushed to the spot and moved the victim to the local hospital.
Subsequently, she was transferred to SVP Hospital in Ahmedabad, following a referral, where necessary procedures and operations were conducted. Currently, the victim is receiving medical treatment and remains hospitalised.
The Sewalia police have initiated legal proceedings by filing a case under the provisions of the Indian Penal Code, including sections 326 (voluntarily causing hurt by weapon), 504 (insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), and 506(2) (criminal intimidation). Additionally, Section 135 of the Gujarat Police Act and various sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act have been invoked. A comprehensive investigation is underway. The accused, Farooq Pathan, remains unapprehended as of the time of writing this report. OpIndia has a copy of the First Information Report (FIR).
Farooq Pathan threatened to kill the victim’s son
Speaking to OpIndia about the incident, one of the victim’s family members said, “He tried to slit her throat, but her wrists received serious cut injuries as she tried to shield her neck with her hands. Her thumb had a narrow escape when he attacked for the second time with that knife.”
According to the family member, Farooq threatened to kidnap the victim’s son on his way to school and kill him, as well as the entire family. The family has now lodged a police complaint.
Hindu organisations also reached out to help
Hindu organisations also rushed to the aid of the victim’s family after learning about the incident. Bhavesh Kansara, a Bajrang Dal worker from Ahmedabad, told OpIndia, “We rushed to the hospital along with our workers when the incident was reported. We are discussing what to do next after getting the details from the family. Our only aim is that the family should get justice and there should be awareness among the people on this issue and Hindu daughters should avoid getting trapped.” He added that Farooq’s family had also approached the victim’s family and talked about a solution, but they have categorically refused.
