Bhopal, May 20: Two months after Deepak Bundele, an advocate and former journalist, was brutally assaulted by the Madhya Pradesh’s Betul Police on March 23, an Assistant Sub-Inspector of Kotwali Police Station in Betul district, BS Patel, approached the victim to record his statement. However, he allegedly tried to convince Bundele to withdraw the case saying that the cops had mistaken him for a Muslim since he has a long beard and assaulted him. But, the cop added, they were ashamed of the incident after they came to know that they had beaten their ‘Hindu brother’.
Bundele was on his way to the government hospital for diabetes treatment, a day before the countrywide lockdown was announced, when the assault occurred. Miffed with the incident and after the district police denied to register the case, he wrote to the State Human Rights Commission; Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court; Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan; Vivek Johri, Director General of Police, Madhya Pradesh; and SP Betul to register an FIR against the police officials and take punitive action against them.
In the wake of COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, section 144 had been imposed in Betul district and public movement was restricted when the incident had occurred.
Talking to Bundele, ASI Patel had said, “We seek an apology on behalf of those officials [who assaulted Bundele]. We are truly embarrassed because of the incident. If you want, I can bring those officials and make them apologise in person to you. They mistook you as a Muslim and assaulted you, since you had a long beard. And the man (who assaulted you) is a kattar (staunch) Hindu…In Hindu-Muslim riots whenever a Muslim is arrested, they beat them up brutally, always,” the police official can be heard saying in an audio recording shared by the victim.
In the 14 minutes long audio, he further said, “I request to you to withdraw the complaint. Please agree to our request; understand that we are living in Gandhi’s country; we are all Gandhi’s children…I have at least 50 friends from your caste.”
The cop continued, “All those people are ashamed that they did something like this to a Hindu brother without knowing his identity. We do not have any enmity against you. Whenever there is a Hindu-Muslim riot, police always supports the Hindus; even Muslims know this. But whatever happened with you was because of ignorance. For that, I have no words.”
Refuting ASI Patel’s claim, Bundele claimed that there was no Hindu-Muslim riot that day, and asked whether he was beaten for being wrongly identified as a Muslim. The police officials agreed, and said: “Yes, exactly.”
“When I constantly declined to withdraw the compliant, he indirectly threatened me saying, ‘Agree to our request, else you and your advocate brother will face consequences’,” Bundele claimed.
When contacted Betul SP DS Bhadoriya said, “I’m not aware of this audio clip. I will taken strict action, if I receive any such complain.”
Bundele said that he has written to the DGP and other senior police officials with details about the incident.
THE ASSAULT
On March 23 evening, when Bundele was on his way to a hospital for the treatment, Betul Police allegedly thrashed him. The 32-year-old advocate had worked as a journalist for various dailies in Madhya Pradesh’s state capital for a decade. He moved to Betul in 2017 and started practising in the district court with his brother. “I have been a patient of diabetes and blood pressure for the last 15 years. On March 23, since I was not feeling well, I decided to visit the hospital and get some medicines. But I was stopped by the police midway,” Bundele had said.
Even though the advocate, who sports a beard, said that he explained to police personnel that he had to get his medicines but one of them slapped him without trying to listen to what he was saying. “When I protested and said that police have no right to beat the public, they got anxious and within no time, many police officials came and started beating me up with sticks,” he added.
"I need constant medication and lifesaving medicines to survive and I told the policemen everything while they were assaulting me. But, they kept hitting me, even after I fell,” he said, adding, "I bled for almost a 2-3 days after the incident.”
Bundele, sustained multiple injuries and his ear bled for almost two days after the incident, but, Betul police denied to file an FIR in the incident.
‘WILL MOVE TO THE HIGH COURT’
“Even after two months of the incident, no FIR has been registered and it seems that police is trying to sweep the matter under the carpet,” Bundele said, adding, “I have talked to the Supreme Court’s veteran advocate Vivek Tankha and Etasham Hashmi and will take this matter to the court.”
He also raised serious concerns about the communal angle of the incident, saying, “It’s a matter of grave concern that the police is turning communal and targeting a particular community.”
Source: https://www.google.com/amp/s/m.thewire.in/article/communalism/madhya-pr…
Comments
First teach your own men to stop intolerance.
Are you people blind not seeing surge in oppression of poor.
You don't want people to raise their concern when you do all harms to poor and minorities.
Teach patriotism and tolerance to your own men.
Teach them to Denounce Godse who killed the father of Nation who gave you an identity to call you as proud Indian.
Muslims do not need any extra teaching from others.
They have full guidance from their God
Now if you are a true concerned of your nation, then at least learn what is teaching of Islam, just adapt in your routine life.
RSS should come forward to punish the killer of mahatma gandhi. They should ban Nathuram Godse's supporters.
RSS founder and its founding members already proved their patriotism during the time of India's freedom struggle!! We Muslims in India proved our patriotism from Shaheed Tippu Sultan\s time till now, we no need any advice from RSS. A Muslim is not a complete Muslim unless he is not patriotic to his country where he/she live, this is our Prophet's word."
Dear Mr. Indresh Kumar,
Please make sure that loving one's country and its people is a good traits of the Muslims as our beloved Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) has said: \Love of your country (patriotism) is a part of your faith.
Never be under the opinion that Madarasas are not teaching patriotism. We love our country as you love.
Patriotism is love of one's country, loyalty and devotion to it, desire to grow and prosper collectively or as a community, and you need to understand that we muslims are being dignified citizens of India proud to say that many of our patriotic ancestors have sacrificed their blood and life during the freedom struggles of our great nation. Please make sure that Islam does not forbid a Muslim to love his homeland or the country in which he lives or grows up.
Almighty Allah says: \"O Mankind! we have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily the most honorable of you with Allah is that (believer) who has Taqwa, Muttaqoon (pious)\". Verily Allah is all knowing all aware (Quran Chapter Hujuraat, verse No. 13).
May God help all of us to live in peace in this great Nation, INDIA."
RSS should learn what is PATRIOT not the muslims or madrasa childrens.
RSS - Stop making communal voilences,bomb explosions and divie an disturbences in the society.
Preach the patriotism to thier affialitaions like VHP, Bajrangees and Goodaisms groups.
ont question Muslims patriotism.
Yes thats why you are alive.....................
we know how to LOVE our country ,Quran teaches us very nicely , we are all patriotic Indian muslims, our country is our home
Muslims love India more than you do......unlike Nathuram Godse who killed Gandhiji....
Killer of Mahatma Gandhi speaking of Patriot..
No Need Advice from RSS For Muslim
Love your country is part of islam .....
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