Ghaziabad: On Friday evening, two members of the Hindu Raksha Dal (HRD), a right-wing group, reportedly targeted and attacked several Muslim families living in shanties near Guldhar railway station in Ghaziabad. They accused these families of being Bangladeshi nationals. This comes amid claims that Hindus in Bangladesh have been targeted following the August 5 removal of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina after a students’ uprising, according to police officers.
On Saturday, a Ghaziabad police official announced that the two main suspects, HRD chief Bhoopendra Tomar, also known as Pinki Chowdhary, and Badal, also known as Hari Om, have been arrested.
The incident took place around 7:30 pm in the Madhuban Bapudham police station area. The land has about 100-150 shanties, according to the officers.
Abhishek Srivastava, assistant commissioner of police for the Kavi Nagar circle, said, “We have started an investigation and are searching for the suspects. The families attacked were Muslim, but none were from Bangladesh. Supporters of Pinki Chaudhary have been charged.”
HRD Assaults Muslim Families: Belongings Burned, Women Beaten
Locho Devi, a neighbor of the victims, said: “Around 30 people came and began attacking four to five families, accusing them of being Bangladeshi nationals. The victims were Muslims, mostly from Shahjahanpur. Their belongings were burned, and the girls and women were beaten and mistreated.”
“We tried to help, but it was useless. The people who were beaten and attacked ran away. The attackers also set the victims’ belongings on fire. The police arrived after the damage had already been done,” she added.
The first information report stated, “The HRD chief and 15-20 others attacked and damaged the shanties of Muslims in the area, claiming they were Bangladeshis. They damaged three to four shanties. We tried to explain that the Muslims living there were not from Bangladesh, but the attackers ignored us and kept beating them.”
HRD chief Chaudhary also shared live videos of the incident on social media.
Also Read: Bizarre! UP Cop Suspended For Demanding 5 Kg ‘Potatoes’ As Bribe
