Assam: How Muslim Boy's Meeting With Hindu Friend Was Given a 'Love Jihad' Spin

Ali Ahmed was tied to a pole and beaten by a crowd in Assam's Cachar district.

(Trigger warning: Description of violence)

"How can you do such instant justice on road? How can you thrash them based on their religion?"

This is a question that Ranjana Begum has repeatedly asked ever since her son, Ali Ahmed Choudhary was arrested in an alleged 'Love Jihad' case on 15 August in Assam's Cachar district.

Over ten days ago, the incident took placer near a school at Narsingpur under the district's Sonai police station area, where Ali had gone to meet his classmate on Independence Day.

Around 8:30 am on that day, initially, three to four boys came and asked him why he's talking to her on that side of the road.

"They asked him his name and when he told them, they said, "You are Muslim, why are you talking to a Hindu girl when you're Muslim?" They started questioning him and then beat him as if it's a crime that he spoke to a Hindu friend.

Raheemuddin, Ali Ahmed's uncle

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'Tied to Pole, Girl Was Assaulted Too'

He added that members of Bajrang Dal members had joined in, beaten Ali and took the girl to Sadar police station, but it was their group with then got the complaint filed while the police took Ali away.

One of his class friends who was with them, he called the family and informed them about the incident.

The Quint has also accessed the viral videos. Ali can be seen crying in pain as the mob beat him, shouting that there was no love between him and the girl. He was also bleeding from his mouth.

"He was beaten on his face, mouth, neck and legs. He was kicked, strangled. His teeth also seem to be broken. They had tied him to a pole and beat him with sticks as well," recalled the uncle.

In another video, a woman can be seen assaulting the friend Ali had gone to meet, her hair was pulled and crowd gathered and joined in too.

Ranjana, while speaking to The Quint said, "Not only did they thrash my son, but the girl was beaten too. It was shameful. If they were wrong, they should have informed the families. I don't understand how they brought the religious identities of the kids in this."

The Quint has also accessed the FIR filed filed in response to the the complaint filed against Ali at Sadar police station.

Raheemuddin stated that police had informed them since the complaint was filed at the Sadar police station, the Sonai police officials took prompt action and arrested Ali.

In the FIR, the family has pressed charges under the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) mainly section 189 (2) pertaining to unlawful assembly, 115 (2) punishment for voluntarily causing hurt and 127 (2) i.e. punishment for wrongful confinement.

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'He Cries All Night In Pain, My Son Told Me'

Ali is the second eldest child in his family — the family are Bengali-Assamese Muslims who live in Khajidahar village in Cachar district.

Ali's father, Tayubuddin Choudhary, born and raised in the district, is a farmer who also drives a lorry for a living.

"Police has not even reached out to us. Our child has just been beaten and picked up, what would our state of our mind be? They've spread lies against him," Tayubuddin told The Quint.

However, his father, feeling helpless, broke down in tears while talking about Ali.

I was in pain after seeing my son in this condition, but I had nothing to do. He was in handcuffs (continues crying). I don't know what to say, I am scared. My son was beaten with such cruelty and now he is in jail, I can't sleep at night.

Tayubuddin, Ali Ahmed's father

Cachar Superintendent of Police Numal Mahatta had earlier spoken to the media and said that Ali was arrested under POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act) charges on the basis of the girl's complaint.

However, when The Quint reached out to Mahatta, he refused to divulge any details as to the case or the arrest. But the police has alleged that they found some sensitive photos of the girl on his mobile phone.

"We've been dealing with such cases, they happen often but the police is doing its job and there's nothing else we can tell you for now," said SP Mahatta.

Meanwhile, Ranjana got emotional as she recalled meeting with Ali at the Silchar Central jail.

"When I went to see him, he told me, 'Ma, I cry all night.' He told me how he was only beaten because of his name. I want my son to be released."

On the other hand, their lawyer, Abdul Wahid told The Quint that there has been an appearance before the additional magistrate judge but they haven't yet given a certificate for his POCSO charges yet.

He said, "The judge asked us if we had an objection and we said we did. Now we're waiting for the next bail petition hearing."

"It's a fabricated case, these are all lies. A counter case has been filed, Ahmed was the victim who was beaten up and yet he's arrested. The police is at fault, despite knowing the truth, they still arrest and press such charges and then they won't show the entire picture," emphasised Wahid.

This case also cannot be seen in isolation from 'love jihad,' land jihad' and 'flood jihad' narrative that has been pushed by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in his comments and speeches, primarily targeting Muslims.

In fact, earlier this month, Sarma stated that his government would bring in a law which would impose a life term for people found guilty of 'Love Jihad.'

(Uncovering hate crimes is a key part of our reportage. Please support our coverage and help us ensure that no such crime or incident goes undocumented)

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