Bittu Bajrangi, accused in Nuh violence, was caught on camera thrashing a man with a stick while a policeman watched, news agency PTI reported on Wednesday, citing police. They said Bajrangi has been booked and they are considering suspending the policeman. He has been out on bail.
In his complaint, the victim Shyamu stated that he was thrashed because Rajkumar Panchal, also known as Bittu Bajrangi, thought he was a Muslim. Shyamu said he was he taking a girl to buy chocolates when he was picked up by some men and taken to Bajrangi's house.
A video of the incident went viral on the Internet. In the video, Bittu Bajrangi, a cow vigilante, along with some other men, can be seen thrashing Shyamu, a tenant residing in the Sanjay Enclave of Faridabad. The video also shows that a policeman is standing within touching distance of the man but does nothing to intervene.
According to the complaint filed by Shyamu at the Saran Police Station, the incident occurred on Monday when he was on his way to a shop with a girl to buy chocolates, as reported by PTI. He stated that some men caught him and took him to Bajrangi's house where they pinned him down, thrashed him with sticks and threatened to kill him.
"That girl is like my daughter but due to some misunderstanding, they took me to Bittu Bajrangi, who without any reason assaulted me assuming that I am from the Muslim community," he said in the complaint, as quoted by PTI.
On Wednesday, an FIR was registered against Bajrangi and his associates under the Indian Penal Code section 323 (causing hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention). "An FIR has been registered and a recommendation for the suspension of the policeman has also been sent to senior officials. We are investigating the matter and the accused will be arrested soon," said the Station House Officer Sangram Dahiya, as quoted by PTI.
Bajrangi was arrested in a case of violence in Haryana’s Nuh last year. The communal violence occurred in Nuh in July last year during a procession organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. The violence had spread to other areas, including Gurugram and Badshahpur. At least five people were killed, and at least 70 people sustained injuries. A mosque had also been set ablaze, and a cleric was among the dead.