GURGAON: Mahesh Panchal (32), brother of cow vigilante and Nuh riots accused
Bittu
Bajrani, was ambushed by a group of men, overpowered, doused with petrol and
set on fire
at a Faridabad mandi in the early hours of Thursday,
Around 1am, half a dozen men who had come in a WagonR, allegedly walked up to Mahesh and asked him if he was Bittu Bajrangi's brother.
When he said yes, they punched and kicked him. One pulled out a can of petrol and poured it over him while another lit a matchstick that set fire to his clothes.
Mahesh jumped into a drain to douse the fire and then, according to locals, managed to get home around 500 metres away while an ambulance was called. "Mahesh was crying in pain when he reached home. He was drenched in drain water. We rushed him to Badshah Khan hospital. Doctors there referred him to Santosh hospital in NIT-3. We shifted him again to a private hospital for better treatment," Bittu, who was granted bail in late August, told TOI over the phone.
Doctors at the BK Hospital said Mahesh was critical with 60% burns, mostly on his chest, back, abdomen, thighs and arms. The doctors at the private hospital where he is being treated said they need another 24 hours to make a statement about his condition.
Mahesh identified one of his attackers as Arman, who runs a juice shop at Baba mandi, where Mahesh's shop is.
Police said an FIR has been filed at Saran police station against Arman and other unidentified accused. They have been booked under sections 147 (rioting),149 (unlawful assembly with common object), 307 (attempt to murder) 326A (voluntarily causing hurt by acid or explosive, leading to damage or burns) of the IPC.
"We are verifying the allegations. The victim is seriously injured and is undergoing treatment. There are no CCTV cameras installed in the vegetable market," said Sangram Singh, SHO of Saran police station.
He said investigators have sent Mahesh's clothes for forensic analysis. "Both crime branch and police station teams are working on finding the attackers. Though there is no footage available of the market, we are checking footage of CCTV cameras installed in nearby areas," said Faridabad police spokesperson
Sube Singh
.
Bittu, arrested by Nuh police in August for alleged involvement in the communal riot that broke out during a religious procession in the district on July 31, said the family is waiting for "lawful action" to be taken against his brother's attackers. "But we are also searching for them on our own end. This is a threat to security for all of us. Mahesh has a wife and a daughter at home. Our safety has been compromised," said Bittu, whose real name is Raj Kumar.
Days before his arrest, Bittu was booked by Faridabad police in another case of hate speech for a video he posted just ahead of violence in Nuh. It was also one of his social media videos, apparently indicating that cow vigilante Monu Manesar will be present at the July 31 yatra, which sparked a flurry of online threats and incendiary statements made by members of both communities before the procession.
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