Gurugram attack: Six under probe, one arrested; family remains fearful
What's the story
In the shocking attack on a Muslim family in Gurugram, police identified at least six suspects on Saturday and have arrested one man, identified as Mahesh Kumar. According to HT, police have formed at least five teams to conduct raids and arrest the rest of the accused. The men entered a home in Dhumaspur village in Bhondsi and attacked the members. Here's what happened.
Context
Backstory: On Holi, family was attacked by goons
The incident happened at the house of one Mohammed Sajid, who runs a furniture repair shop and has been living in Gurugram for the last 15 years. Sajid built the house nearly three years ago and lived there with his wife and six children. On Holi, the family's relatives came to visit them when they were brutally attacked by goons.
What happened
Boys of family were allegedly told to "Go to Pakistan"
According to reports, it all started when boys of the Muslim family were playing cricket at a vacant plot. Sajid's nephew Dilshad alleged few men asked them to "Go to Pakistan" and play there. When Sajid intervened one of the bike-borne men slapped him. Soon accomplices of the miscreants joined them. The men barged into the family's home and assaulted the members.
Attack
Dilshad said his one-year-old niece was hurt
The men used sticks, iron rods, batons, and water pipes to attack the family. They reportedly stole valuables too. In the viral video, women of the house can be heard crying for help and asking the men to leave the children. Dilshad told IE his four-year-old niece hid under the bed but the men grabbed his one-year-old niece and "threw her on the bed".
Quote
Police said family's security will be ensured
"Our priority is to investigate and ensure that the family is safe and getting proper treatment. We have deployed a team outside their house to ensure their safety and security," said Himanshu Garg, the deputy commissioner of police (south).
Accused's side
We were drunk, accused told police
Meanwhile, Kumar, who is in police custody, said he and his friend were drunk when the incident happened. They were returning home when they were hit by a cricket ball. When the duo shouted at the boys, they were asked to leave. 15 minutes later, Kumar and his friend returned with at least 10 more men and pelted stones at the family's house.
Defense
A lapse won't go unpunished, said Garg
Separately, Dilshad said police didn't act swiftly and took more than an hour to reach. "By then, they had assaulted all of us, including the children," Dilshad said. Garg promised action will be taken if lapse is found on part of the police. "Both sides were not aware of the other's community, so there is no planned intention in the case. This was a spontaneous incident," Garg added.
Aftermath
We are planning to return to our village: Sajid
Shaken after the assault, the family is planning to move out of Bhondsi. "We are planning to either move back to our village or to Delhi. If this has happened here once, it can happen again," Sajid said. He added if something like this happens in the village, people would have come out in their support. "We are entirely alone here," Sajid noted.
Quote
Sajid revealed he spent all his savings in the house
"This house was my dream, I invested all my savings and spent around Rs. 20 lakh to build it. But now I think it's better to leave. We are not safe here," Sajid said and added the miscreants belonged to a nearby village.
Details
Councilor says the incident is being politicized
Balraj Bhadana, the councilor of the area, said the situation won't escalate. He noted people of different communities have been living peacefully in the area for years. "This violence occurred because of a fight between two groups, but it is being politicized and given a communal angle," claimed Bhadana. Notably, Congress President Rahul Gandhi slammed BJP/RSS and accused them of spreading hate.
Twitter Post
Every patriotic Indian is ashamed: Rahul
Every Patriotic Indian is disgusted by the video of a family in #Gurugram being mercilessly beaten by hooligans. The RSS/ BJP channelises bigotry hatred for political power. This incident serves as a warning of the dangerous consequences the dark side of that strategy.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) March 23, 2019