Meerut: 'My Skull Cap & Beard Were Enough For Kanwariyas To Beat Me'

"Our car did not even touch the Kanwar, we were staying put in one place but they damaged our car," said Parvez.

Mohd Parvez was beaten up by Kanwariyas on Delhi-Meerut Expressway.

(Photo: Kamran Akhter/The Quint)

Mohammad Parvez, 46, who works in the auto-parts business in Meerut, was dragged and beaten up by a mob of Kanwariyas on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway on 26 July.

The video of the incident which went viral on social media, showed a mob hounding and beating Parvez while their car was vandalised. Now, Parvez is shaken from the incident and is weary of even talking to media persons.

"First, there were around 20 of them, then around 20 more joined in. They tore all my clothes, pulled my beard and threw away my cap. All they saw was my cap and beard and they attacked me," Parvez told The Quint.

This incident in Meerut is latest among the rising number of such cases which have taken place in the past 10 days across Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Around 10:45 am on 26 July, Parvez along with his relatives was in a Honda Jazz where they had taken a U-turn at Partapur Chauraha. Parvez stated that it was when a tractor came in front of them and they stopped their car.

Right then, Parvez and his family claimed that the Kanwariyas placed the Kanwar behind their car.

The Kanwar was behind the car and the tractor was in front of us, hence we were stuck. But Kanwariyas were looking at us and we thought we'll stay put till they've gone because I knew they could see my skull cap and beard and it might be a problem. That's exactly what happened.

Parvez told The Quint

The Kanwariyas who vandalised the car Parvez and his family were in.

(Photo: Screenshot from the video)

'Why Did Kanwariyas Vandalise Car, Steal Mobile Phone?'

The route which was meant to be one-way had been opened for vehicles to travel through both ways.

Arshad, Parvez' nephew told The Quint that the mob shouted "Suar, Mulla and all kinds of slogans." While the mob dragged out and beat Parvez, they also beat Shehzad who was driving the vehicle and broke his hand.

The Kanwar which is reportedly placed behind their car.

(Photo: Screenshot from the video)

"The mob would've killed them if the police had not come in. Firstly, Parvez and the others in the car not at fault at all, I can guarantee a 100% that Kanwar was not touched. Secondly, is this a way to deal with it? They damaged the car and even seized one of the mobile phones. This is plain robbery," Arshad remarked.

Parvez now has bruises all over his body, he said. "As they hit me with rods and sticks, I have bruises all over my body, on my head, legs, waist, back and my wrists. It was after he went home that he made a video where his injuries could be seen clearly."

The bruises all over  Parvez' body.

(Photo: Screenshot from the video)

While speaking to the media on the day of incident, a Meerut police official said, "There was an accident where the car was coming from the wrong side. The car had touched them and then a fight ensued and the windows of the car were broken. We reached the spot as soon as we got the information and dispersed the crowd. Both the sides do not want an investigation."

However, the police has not taken any action yet, an agitated Arshad said, "They have the videos, they can identify the culprits but no arrests have been made yet. We don't have the energy to do to go back and forth from a court now."

In the video accessed by The Quint, after the Kanwariyas had beaten up Parvez and completely damaged the car, one of them could be seen standing at the top of the vehicle and shouting "Jai Sri Ram" as others joined in.

One of the Kanwariyas in the video could be heard saying, "We asked the 'Mulla' to give us a side but he hit our Kanwar. We had asked him, he was coming from the wrong side. We told him to stop. One Kanwariya's Kanwar was hit and another's ganga jal poured out."

However, Parvez and Arshad have denied these allegations.

"We were sure not to touch the Kanwar. The video that is being shared is not the full video. They should know the full picture," noted Parvez.

In the FIR filed at Partapur police station on 26 July - Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 115 (2), 352, 351 (2) and 324 (4), which relate to charges of voluntarily causing hurt, intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace, criminal intimidation and mischief - have been invoked.

(The Quint also reached out to the local police. Their response will be added once received).