Right wing group assaults man in Bhopal accusing him of ‘lying about his religion’

Bhopal: Members of a right-wing group allegedly assaulted a man in Bhopal’s Bhanpura area on Sunday night accusing him of trying to hide his religion while questioning his relationship with a Hindu woman.

Footage circulating online showed the man, being held by his hair, getting slapped as they sought details including his name and address, The Indian Express reported.

The group, named Maa Bhawani Hindu, questioned the man’s relationship with a Hindu woman and claimed they detained him before notifying to the police.

They accused the authorities of not taking any action against him.

It is reported citing police that the man sustained injuries on his face in the incident that took place under Chhola Mandir police station limits.

The man had not filed a complaint as of Monday morning, according to the report.

The woman concerned, according to the police, said in her written statement that she did not wish to pursue any legal action as she had not faced any 'wrongdoing', adding she called the man an acquaintance.

Police said they would take action depending on whether they receive any complaint alongside verification of videos.

Chhola Mandir station in-charge Saraswati Chauhan reportedly said ‘The woman has not come forward to register a case’, adding ‘There is no complaint by the youth, so we did not proceed with the case. Everyone has the freedom to file a complaint’.

Bhanu Hindu, the president of Maa Bhawani Hindu admitted that they slapped the man for ‘lying to us”.

Bhanu Hindu added: ‘We tipped off the police after we caught the man. But there was pressure on the woman not to file a case.’

He added: ‘He was not assaulted severely. When our members caught him, he kept lying to us. So, he was slapped.’