Three men have been arrested by police in Kanpur, a city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh (UP), for publicly harassing and assaulting a Muslim e-rickshaw driver.
"Three local Bajrang Dal members have been arrested and investigations are going on. Following the arrest, some members of the Bajrang Dal staged a protest in front of the police station, demanding the release of their fellow group members," Harmeet Singh, a senior officer of Barra Police Station, Kanpur, told Sputnik on Friday.
About The Incident
A woman from the victim's neighbourhood reached out to the Bajrang Dal, claiming she was being forced to convert to Islam for a sum of INR 20,000 ($270 approx.). She blamed the Muslim driver for trying to manipulate her.
At her behest, the Bajrang Dal members found the man and beat him in public before the police intervened.
According to police, the woman's allegations could be entirely false.
"No conversion angle is linked to this case. There are over 50 Hindu families living in that locality and several people from the neighbourhood have told the police that this woman is lying. There seems to be some other issues that may have triggered this incident. Investigations shall soon reveal," Police Officer Singh stated.
A graphic video of the case has emerged online, further straining Hindu-Muslim harmony in Uttar Pradesh. Bajrang Dal members can be seen parading the Muslim man on the streets, asking him to chant "Glory to Lord Ram" (Jai Shree Ram). The man is seen being assaulted by people after police officials appear on the site.
Warning: The following video is disturbing and may offend sensibilities.
Earlier this week, a fringe Hindu group, Kranti Sena, combed the markets of Muzaffarnagar, a city in Uttar Pradesh, to ensure that no "male Henna artist" from the Muslim community was taking work from Hindu women ahead of a festival.