New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh Police has filed a chargesheet against 11 people in connection with the assault on an elderly man in Loni area of Ghaziabad.
Two accused have been charged under Gangsters Act by the police, which includes Parvesh Gujjar and Kallu Gujjar, whereas eight others have been booked under sections of Indian Penal Code, involving 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (insult to cause breach of peace), 506 (intimidation), 295(A) (deliberate act to intend outrage religious feelings), 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting with deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly).
Around 24 persons, according to sources, have been made witnesses in the case, which came to light after a video went viral in which an elderly citizen was being beaten up.
Sources say, the chargesheet does not include Umaid Phelwan, who has been booked under the National Security Act. A separate chargesheet will be filed against him.
UP Police has also booked journalists and Twitter over spreading false information, which is part of ongoing probe.
A video was widely circulated in the month of May on social media showing an elderly Muslim man being thrashed in Ghaziabad's Loni. The Ghaziabad Police had said there is no communal angle to the incident and that the man knew the assailants personally.
Abdul Samad, 72, was thrashed by six people on June 5. The assailants also chopped off his beard, as can be seen in the viral video.
Accompanied by local Samajwadi Party leader Ummed Pahlwan Idrisi, Abdul Samad lodged an FIR in this regard on June 7 against unidentified persons. Samad later took part in a Facebook Live where he alleged that he was abducted and thrashed by the assailants, who also forced him to chant 'Jai Shri Ram'.
“There is no communal angle in the incident. The victim and the accused have known each other since long. The victim sold a tabeez (amulet) to key accused Parvesh but he [Parvesh] complained that it had an adverse effect on his family," superintendent of police (SP), Ghaziabad (rural), Iraj Raja had then told the media.
SP Raja had added, "He [Parvesh] called Abdul Samad to his residence and started thrashing him. He called his friends Kallu, Poli, Aadil, Arif and Mushahid, who also tied up the victim and chopped off his beard. A case has been registered in this regard and key accused have been arrested. The investigation is still on."
