Mangalore, July 10: At least two persons were injured and the reception area of a government hospital ransacked on Sunday night near Belthangady in an incident that is alleged to have been communally motivated.
In his complaint, Javed Iqbal (25) has alleged that he was beaten up by members of a Hindu organisation near Manjutti, while his friend Abdul Hamid suffered injuries after the same group followed them to Government General Hospital, Belthangady.
Complaint
Meanwhile, Vasudev (45), who was named as an accused by Javed, filed a complaint claiming to have been roughed up by a group of Muslim men, including Javed and Hamid, at Indabetta nearby.
Lying in the same ward of the hospital, Javed and Vasudev narrate two different versions of Sunday's events.
According to Mr. Iqbal, he and his brother were travelling by car from Belthangady towards Navoor around 9.45 p.m., when a group of “inebriated” people stopped them at Manjutti and attacked them. While his younger brother suffered only minor injuries, Mr. Iqbal had to be admitted in Belthangady hospital.
Lying two beds away, Vasudev said he had stopped his car by the road to talk to a friend. Javed came in a car. Angered by his honking people who were standing nearby picked a fight with Javed. He said he was attacked although he was not involved.
Claim
Mr. Vasudev claimed that he had never met the other persons accused in the complaint filed by Javed. However, a resident doctor at the hospital identified him to be among 20 men who gathered at the hospital around 11.15 p.m.
When they were denied entry, they allegedly started breaking chairs, throwing stones, and soda bottles at the nurses.
“Abdul Hamid was injured after the bottle hit him.” Belthangady police said the accused in both FIRs had not been arrested as they had been reported “absconding”.
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