Three people were arrested for physically assaulting an auto-rickshaw driver over suspicion of him having an extramarital affair” with a burqa-clad woman in Karnataka’s Bidar. The woman was also slapped by the accused men.
A video of the incident has gone viral on social media which shows some men slapping the woman first, accusing her of tarnishing the reputation of the Muslim community, before turning towards the man and beating him.
The arrests were made after the man, identified as Ashok Reddy, who is an auto-rickshaw driver, registered a complaint against the accused. Subsequently, Bidar Police registered an FIR against five people.
The complaint has been registered under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including criminal intimidation and assault or criminal force on a woman with intent to outrage her modesty.
Meanwhile, the police have denied any communal angle to the case and said that the assault stemmed solely from the suspicion of an extramarital relationship.
Reddy, in his complaint, said he was merely transporting the woman to her intended destination when the accused assaulted them.
Further investigation is underway.
Source Agencies
