Bulandshahr: Muslim Boys Thrashed & Allegedly Strangled; 'Not Communal' Say Cops

The two boys had rope marks on their necks. Their family alleges that the mob tried to strangle them.

Tanzeem and Faizan were brutally beaten in a local market in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh.

(Photo: Vibhushita Singh/The Quint)

"My sons got beaten up by the local shopkeepers who formed a mob. Not one person intervened to help them while they beat them for 45 mins," recounted Haji Asif, whose son Tanzeem was beaten up by a mob in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr.

On 30 June, Mohd Tanzeem (19) and his cousin Mohd Faizan (17), both were brutally thrashed by a crowd of shopkeepers in the main market of Gulaothi area in Bulandshar.

The video of them being beaten has gone viral on social media. Now, Faizan and Tanzeem are severely injured and in hospital. They are receiving doses of glucose as the family waits for them to get better so that they can get a CT scan done.

What reportedly started as scuffle over a minor issue turned into a huge fight. But what exactly happened?

What Does the Boys' Family Claim?

Asif works in mango cultivation and has a farm of his own. He stated that he had sent the boys on a motorcycle and return a pesticide they had purchased.

Narrating the incident, he told The Quint that they asked for 'Chinese wali pudiya' (a type of pesticide) but the shop had given them the 'carbide' one. Both are used to facilitate the growth of mangoes but they wanted the former.

It was to return the commodity that Asif sent the two boys to the shop in the main market but a fight ensued shortly after.

They beat them out in the open in the market and alleged that my boys were looting them. They shouted, 'Maaro suaro ko!' 'Maaro Katullao ko!' and the rest were abusive words. It started with a few men and then all the shopkeepers in the market joined in the mob. Sab ne haath dhoya hain. (All joined in).

Haji Asif, Tanzeem's father to The Quint

Thereafter, he stated that Tanzeem and Faizan were picked up by the police and kept in the lockup. Asif too spent around 4 hours at the police station.

The police also imposed a fine under CrPc against Tanzeem and Faizan and then carried out a medical examination but without the presence of their family.

The complaint filed by the family the night of the incident.

(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)

Asif was able to get them released the next day, on 1 July. Even though the incident took place on 30 June, the police only filed the FIR on 3 July.

The Quint has a copy of the FIR which has been filed under IPC charges of: punishment for rioting, voluntarily causing hurt, intentional insult to provoke breach of peace and punishment for criminal intimidation.

The FIR includes the names of Rinku, Rahul, Brajmohan, Honey and a number of unidentified people.

However, the boys' advocate, Ansar Ahmed, said, "Depending on the medical report, we will file a case under section 156 (3) which is to ask for investigation into the case. There were more stringent charges we wanted the police to add but they didn't. All sections added are bailable."

Asif stated that they are 'dabang' (rowdy) boys and they are roaming free in the local market.

Talking about Tanzeem and Faizan, he added:

"They have bruises on their heads, they have severe marks on their neck which we can tell was done from ropes. So they even tried to kill them with the ropes."

The rope marks on the neck. Photo has been blurred a bit.

(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)

Advocate Ahmed and Asif's elder son Azeem also said the marks on their neck seem to be done by a rope. Meanwhile, Ahmed claims that the accused are still threatening the family that they will "do much worse" if action is taken against them.

What's the Police's Version?

On the other hand, the police has painted a different picture and have claimed that it was Tanzeem and Faizan, along with two other boys, who entered the shop and beat the shopkeepers first.

Because the video is now viral, people only know one side of the story. Tanzeem and Faizan beat them first. Two of the other boys ran away but both of them were caught. This is the truth. Only that shopkeeper and I have the video footage.

SHO Yashpal Singh to The Quint

On being asked about the communal slogans, Singh denied it and said that there is no communal or caste angle to the case.

"We have registered FIRs for both the parties. As per Supreme Court and High court guidelines, there is no section which warrants an immediate arrest, but we'll provide justice to the victims," he added.

However, Asif contests the police's version.

"It can all be seen in the video what locals are saying and how they are beating them up. Moreover, why did they did not arrest those guys too? Why were only my boys put in the lockup at the police station then?" asked an agitated Asif.

Earlier too, the CO of Sikandrabad police station, Purnima Singh pinned the blame on Tanzeem and Faizan and has called the attack on them as part of retaliation by the other shop-owners.

Advocate Ahmed has stated that after their testimonies are done, the court will decide which charges are to be included.

"There was a clear attempt to murder and both of them are suffering from multiple wounds. We will fight this in court despite what the police says," Ahmed said.

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