Meerut: Youth stripped, made to chant Jai Shri Ram, thrashed?

A youth in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, was allegedly beaten, stripped and forced to chant 'Jai Shri Ram' according to his family on 25 November, Monday. However, police have denied that he was stripped and forced to chant anything by the accused, and claim that it prima facie appears to be a case of enmity.

The incident took place at around 8 p.m. on Saturday, 25 November, when Gulfam, a resident of Sofipur village in Pallavpuram, was returning home after practising at a private shooting range in Mangal Pandey Nagar, his father Aftab said.

Aftab alleges that Gulfam was taken to Victoria Park by three youths on a motorcycle, where they beat him, stripped him and forced him to chant 'Jai Shri Ram'. They also snatched his mobile phone.

Family members of the victim also allege that he fell unconscious after he was thrashed and stripped.

However, the police have denied the charges of stripping and forced chanting.

SHO, Civil Lines, Mahavir Singh claimed, "There is no mention of forcing the victim to chant Jai Shri Ram in the FIR. It is a prima facie case of enmity between youths."

Based on Aftab's complaint, an FIR was registered in the case under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 351(2) (criminal intimidation), 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and 324 (mischief), Circle officer, Civil Lines, Abhishek Tiwari.

Efforts are being made to arrest the accused, SHO Singh said.

Gulfam is presently undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Meerut. He has been preparing for the national shooting competition, his family said.