Hindu Man Attacked by Islamists After Offering Ride to Muslim Colleague [Chitradurga, Karnataka]

(Reported as seen)

In a disturbing incident in Chitradurga city, Karnataka, a Hindu man named Umesh was violently assaulted by a group of Islamists for offering a ride to his Muslim colleague, Parveen. The attack left Umesh with severe injuries, prompting outrage from the Hindu community, who demanded justice and the immediate arrest of the perpetrators.

Umesh, a resident of Eerajjanahatti and an employee at a garment store, was accompanying Parveen home on the night of Thursday, April 18th. Around 8 pm, a group of five Islamists stopped them, verbally abused Umesh for being with a Muslim woman, and proceeded to assault him mercilessly. Umesh suffered severe injuries to his head and other parts of his body, requiring treatment at a local government hospital.

Following the attack, Umesh reported the incident to the Chitradurga Town police, who visited him at the hospital. Meanwhile, members of the Hindu community gathered outside the hospital, demanding justice for Umesh and the swift arrest of the attackers.

However, the situation took a perplexing turn when, a day later, Parveen lodged a police complaint against Umesh, accusing him of molestation during the ride. She alleged that Umesh behaved inappropriately and attempted to take her to a different location than her home.

According to Parveen, Umesh bypassed her designated stop and tried to take her towards Chandravalli Thota, prompting her to raise an alarm. She claimed that her brother’s friends intervened and thrashed Umesh in response.

This incident sheds light on the alarming trend of baseless conspiracy theories such as the ‘Bhagwa Love Trap,’ which falsely accuse Hindu outfits of training Hindu youth to lure and entrap Muslim women. Such theories have led to targeted attacks on Hindu-Muslim couples by extremist groups, resulting in verbal abuse, physical assault on Hindu men, and even molestation of Muslim women.

The escalation of such incidents underscores the urgent need for authorities to address the issue of communal tensions and ensure the safety and security of all citizens, regardless of their religious or cultural backgrounds.