In Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, Dr. Istekhar, 25, was brutally assaulted by a mob allegedly affiliated with Hindutva groups. The attack occurred on June 30 when Dr. Istekhar was returning home from his clinic and stopped at a petrol pump near the Double Gate Bridge to refuel.
Narrating the ordeal, Dr. Istekhar said, “I was coming back from my clinic, my bike ran out of fuel and I stopped to refuel at a petrol pump. As I crossed the road, two people stopped me, asked my name, and then started abusing and beating me. They called more people, and soon around 25 people surrounded me. I was helpless against them.”
The mob’s aggression escalated when more people arrived in a black car, adding to the assailants. “After some time, a person who knew me tried to intervene, but the mob overpowered him. He managed to alert the police, who arrived and arrested nine people, including Bunty Malik,” Dr. Istekhar said.
“I don’t even know those people; they attacked me after asking my name,” he added.
The police have taken action, arresting six individuals allegedly involved in the assault. One of the arrested individuals possessed a bike with a sticker identifying him as “BJP Metropolitan President.”
An FIR has been filed against Vasu, Rachit Sharma, Abhishek Chaudhary, Vipin Saini, Ranjit Thakur, Gaurav Rohila, and others under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including Sections 506 (criminal intimidation), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 148 (rioting, armed with a deadly weapon), and 147 (rioting).
