AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Three Muslim youths were assaulted in Hapur district of Uttar Pradesh, India, while taking a photograph with a newly purchased motorcycle. The incident occurred on August 26 near the village of Pilkhola.
According to witnesses, the attackers, after learning the victims’ religious identity, seized the motorcycle key and beat them with sticks and rods. Two of the young men, identified as Aamir and Rizwan, managed to escape, while the third, Waseem, was severely injured. His family reported that he sustained broken ribs and a fractured leg, along with ear bleeding, and remains in critical condition.
Waseem’s family has filed a formal complaint against four suspects at the local police station. Police have registered a case under charges of “attempted murder,” but denied a communal motive, claiming the assault stemmed from a misunderstanding over taking photographs in front of a house.
However, families of the victims and minority rights activists argue the attack was rooted in Islamophobia and religious discrimination. They have urged authorities to ensure justice for the victims.
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