A group of armed men vandalised a mosque and attacked the Muslims who were offering Ramadan prayers inside its premises in Haryana’s Sonipat district on Sunday evening.
At least, nine people were injured in the attack. The police arrested at least ten people and filed a First Information Report (FIR) against 19 people in connection with the incident at Sandhal Kalan village.
Sonipat Police Commissioner B Satheesh Balan who visited the village said that six people received blunt injuries in the incident. “The injured have lodged a complaint against 19 people while 18 of them have been named in the complaint,” the officer said, as quoted by the Indian Express.
The victims said that the worshipers who were performing Ramadan prayers in a small mosque received injuries on their heads, legs and hands. “Even children and women were also not spared by the group who were armed with hockey sticks, swords and other sticks. Some of the injured people have been admitted to Sonipat government hospital,” he said.
According to one of the victims, there was no previous enmity or provocation for the incident. “The assailants were from the same village and drunk. They not only attacked us but also caused damage to the property,” he said.
The police officer said that some hooligans, who are from the same village, barged into the mosque, beat up the faithful, including children, who were offering namaz.
“It was unprovoked. No such dispute or tension was reported in the village earlier. There are only 15-20 families (of the affected community). The police immediately reached the spot. The villagers also cooperated. As many as 16 youths have been rounded up. Five to six people have been arrested too. They are being questioned. I want to make it clear that the police will take stern action in such cases,” Satheesh Balan said.
“The policemen are doing their duty. They kept sitting in the village for the entire night. There are over 30 families from our community in the village,” said a member of the community.