On 26 August 2024, a disturbing video surfaced on social media, reportedly from the Araria district in Bihar. The video shows a group of individuals assaulting a man, tying his hands behind his back, stripping him of his pants, and then forcefully stuffing red chilli powder into his rectum, ignoring his desperate pleas for mercy.
The video quickly sparked outrage online. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and others shared the footage, alleging that Bihar was under “Taliban rule” and claiming that minorities were being oppressed in the state.
However, the police later arrested the main accused in the case, identified as Mohammad Sifat, dispelling the narrative of minority oppression. Efforts are ongoing to identify and apprehend the other individuals involved.
Reports indicate that the incident occurred in Islamnagar, within the jurisdiction of the Araria police station. The victim, a 30-year-old man, was suspected of attempting to steal a motorbike. After apprehending him, the assailants tied his hands with a rope and subjected him to a brutal assault, including the chilli powder attack, while he begged for mercy. Despite some onlookers suggesting they hand him over to the police, the assailants refused, with one stating, “If we hand him over to the police, they will spare him.”
Tejashwi Yadav, in sharing the video, accused the Bihar government of allowing a “Taliban rule” to flourish, criticizing the BJP/NDA government for remaining silent. He claimed that his party’s advocacy for the rights of Dalits, backward classes, and minorities was the reason for being labeled as promoting “jungle raj.”
बिहार में तालिबान राज! बीजेपी/NDA बिहार में सत्ता में मौज से है इसलिए जातिवादी गोदी मीडिया मौन है। हम और हमारा दल दलितों,पिछड़ों और अल्पसंख्यकों के हक और हिस्सेदारी की बात करते है इसलिए जातिवादियों को हमारा शासन हमेशा जंगलराज नजर आता है।
pic.twitter.com/QZmWUaFq6H— Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) August 27, 2024
The police took swift action after the video went viral, registering an FIR under sections 109 and 117(4) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS). On 27 August 2024, they arrested the main accused, Mohammad Sifat, a resident of Araria. The authorities are continuing to track down the other individuals involved in the incident. The victim, from the Simraha police station area in Araria, reportedly has several theft cases registered against him. Despite this, no formal complaint was lodged against him in this recent incident, leading to his release after being held at the police station for about half an hour.
Yesterday, information was received about a video of an inhuman act related to the Araria district going viral on social media. In the said video, a young man was being tied with a rope by some people on the charge of theft and an inhuman act of putting some substance like chilli… pic.twitter.com/pwAoosPeMI
— ANI (@ANI) August 27, 2024
How Abhisar Sharma Gave The Crime A Caste Twist
Leftist YouTuber Abhisar Sharma who made headlines in the NewsClick case and its China connection has given a ‘caste’ twist to the inhuman crime meted out to the victim. In a video on his channel, he says on the topic, “A blatant casteist attack has been made on a person. Chilli powder is being smeared on his genitals and a video of this is being made. It is shocking. The perpetrator doesn’t seem to have any shame or fear that their shameful act is being broadcast to the world. I want to ask you, should we not have a debate on this? Why not? And where do you bring such criteria from.”
Dalla @abhisar_sharma calls inserting Red Chilli Powder case a "Jaativaadi Hamla"
The accused is Mohammad Sifat.
But forget calling it communal incident, Abhisar is trying to make it issue of Caste Discrimination and blame Hindus for it? pic.twitter.com/JWzPvkMjnf
— Ankur Singh (@iAnkurSingh) August 28, 2024
However, Sharma despite knowing the fact that it was Sifat who did the act, has gone ahead and given it a casteist angle.
Abhisar Sharma and his associated ‘news’ channels like NewsClick as well as his own YouTube channels are known for peddling leftist propaganda often. Even when he was a ‘career’ journalist with NDTV, he was seen peddling the propaganda of his paymasters.
(With inputs from OpIndia)
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