By Adeeba Jamal
An Islamic scholar, Mohammad Firoz, was allegedly beaten by police during a routine bike checking in Benipatti, Madhubani district, Bihar. Firoz, a preacher at a Madarsa, was attacked after he did not realize the police were inspecting vehicles. He was reportedly struck until he lost consciousness, mocked for his religious beliefs, and threatened by officers.
“In haste, I went a little ahead when I realized that policemen came running towards me. The moment I stopped, they started hitting my bike with a stick. When I asked them why they were hitting my bike, I didn’t know that I would fall prey to it as well,” Firoz told local media.
He alleged that the policemen kept hitting him till he became unconscious and fell to the ground. When he woke up, he found himself in the police car and after around 20 minutes, the DSP assaulted him with excessive force.
Firoz said while he was being beaten and begging the police to let him go, the DSP mockingly said “You pray to Allah, so call Him, only He can save you today.”
“You are an Islamic cleric, aren’t you? This ‘maulvigiri’ will come to an end today,” the DSP reportedly told Feroz.
Feroz said when he asked for water, one of the policemen coldly replied, “This scoundrel doesn’t deserve water.”
He alleged that the policemen verbally assaulted him, targeting his religious beliefs, claiming that the DSP clutched his beard with all his might and slapped him continuously until he gave in. They made threatening remarks stating that he would be thrashed in front of his dad, his mom and his grandfather as well.
When asked to make a phone call, the DSP denied his appeal and told everyone that “this scoundrel will not get to call anyone.”
This story was originally published in theobserverpost.com. Read the full story here.