AGRA: A 20-year-old woman was allegedly assaulted and stripped of her hijab, while the Hindu man accompanying her was beaten by a group of men in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar on Saturday, April 12. A video of the incident went viral on social media, triggering widespread outrage.
In the video, a man is seen forcibly removing the woman’s hijab as others shout abuses, harass, and physically assault both her and the man she was with.
The incident took place in the city’s Khalapar area when the duo, riding a bike, were returning from Sujroo village after collecting a loan EMI.
According to the police complaint, the woman said she had been accompanying one of her mother’s colleagues to collect an EMI on behalf of Utkarsh Small Finance Bank when they were stopped and attacked.
“A group of 8-10 men started verbally abusing me and also physically assaulted me and the man who was accompanying me. The accused also pulled my burqa and clothes as I struggled to save myself. They also recorded a video of the attack and threatened to make the incident viral,” she stated.
Based on the complaint, police registered an FIR at Khalaapar Police Station under IPC sections 115(2) (intentionally causing hurt), 352 (assault or criminal force), 191(2) (rioting), and 74 (assault or use of criminal force against a woman with intent to outrage her modesty). Six individuals have been arrested so far.
Muzaffarnagar City DSP Raju Kumar said, “The incident occurred between approximately 4 and 4:30 pm. A Hindu man from Bhavan area and a Muslim woman from Khalapar, both associated with Utkarsh Small Finance Bank, were returning from Sujroo after collecting a loan installment. They were stopped and assaulted by some locals in Darzi Wali Gali. Six accused have been arrested so far. We have also taken cognizance of the video. Further arrests will be made as more people are identified from the video. Strict legal action will follow.”
Later, visuals emerged from the police station showing the arrested men limping while being escorted by police. However, several users on social media speculated that the limping was “staged.”
