New Delhi: A man, out on bail after having been accused of involvement in the February Delhi riots, has now been arrested after he was seen thrashing another man in northeast Delhi and forcing him to chant ‘Pakistan murdabad‘ in a video that went viral on social media.
The Twitter account of the Northeast Delhi DCP has announced that an FIR has been registered and police have begun investigating the case.
“The accused has been identified as Ajay Goswami, a resident of Old Garhi Mendu village, and a case is being registered against him in Khajuri Khas police station under relevant sections of law,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (northeast) Sanjay Kumar Sain had said in the aftermath of the video gaining traction on social media.
Sain said while Goswami is involved in northeast Delhi riots cases, the latest incident has “no connection with the riots cases.”
Fifty three people died in the February riots – a majority of them Muslims. Hundreds were injured and even more suffered enormous losses in property in the three-day carnage.
Indian Express has reported that Goswami is 32 years old. It has also quoted police as having said that Goswami allegedly found the victim stealing from his dairy farm.
A PTI report has it that officials have noted that the victim has theft and murder charges pending against him. Police have not identified the victim.
The video clip being circulated widely shows brutal beating by Goswami, who shouts at the victim, asking him to loudly chant, “Hindustan zindabad, Pakistan murdabad (‘long live Hindustan, down with Pakistan’).
NDTVhas reported that voices, presumably of those who were recording the incident, can be heard asking the man to chant “Asaddudin Owaisi murdabad.” Owaisi is a Hyderabad MP and leader of the AIMIM.
Police have said they have identified the person who made the video, and legal action will be taken against him as well.