The Ballabhgarh train lynching incident – that killed one Muslim youth – may have started over a seat. But it soon escalated with attackers allegedly using various slurs. According to Hashib, one of the victims, he and his relatives were called “Pakistanis”, “anti-nationals” and “beef-eaters”.
However, in the FIR registered by the police, based on Hashib’s account, a copy of which was accessed by The Quint, the word “beef” is conspicuously absent. A more politically correct phrase, “racial slurs”, is used instead.
Hashib told the police that he was travelling by train from Sadar Bazaar in Delhi, where he had gone to shop for Eid along with Junaid and Moin. At Okhla station, nearly 15-20 people boarded the train and demanded that they clear the seats. When they refused, two members from the group used racial slurs and physically assaulted the victims.
Hashib and his friends then tried to get off the train at Faridabad station, but failed due to overcrowding at the station. Following this, he rang up a few friends at the Ballabhgarh station and asked for their help. Shakir was one of the friends who came to Ballabhgarh station.
According to Hashib’s FIR:
Two people from the group started racially abusing us, while physically attacking us. One of them then stabbed us with a knife.
Junaid was killed in the ensuing stabbing, while Shakir and Hashib were grievously injured. The three victims were residents of Khandavali village in Ballabhgarh.
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