The Delhi Police on Wednesday arrested five youths who allegedly beat up and fractured the arm of a boy after allegedly forcing him to chant "Bharat Mata ki jai" at a park in outer Delhi’s Begumpur area. On Tuesday, three madrasa students claimed that they were allegedly beaten up by unidentified men after they refused to chant slogans such as “Jai mata ki”.

Controversy arose after the victim changed his statement and alleged that he was asked to chant “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”. During investigations he changed his statement again and claimed he was asked to chant Jai Mata Ki not Bharat Mata Ki Jai, said police. The accused were identified as Aditya, Sagar, Karamjit, Sachit and Anshu, all aged between 20 and 25 years. “They were booked under IPC Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 325 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt) and 341 (wrongful restraint) and 506 (criminal intimidation),” said DCP (Outer) Vikramjit Singh.

Police maintained that there were inconsistencies in the statements of the complainant and they had to wait for a medical opinion on his X-ray reports before registering a case.  Nowhere in the complaint to police had the boy mentioned about being forced to say “Bharat Mata ki Jai”.

In his complaint, the victim, Mohammad Dilkash, told police, “The incident took place on March 26 when he was sitting in a park with two of his friends Ajmal and Naeem near their madrasa in Begampur.  Another group of five persons was also sitting nearby and they were consuming alcohol.

Suddenly, a boy, who was known to Dilkash, from the other group, came to him and allegedly slapped him. Soon the four other persons of the group came towards Dilkash and his friends. They threatened them saying “if they want to live, they must say Jai Mata Ki,” the complaint read.           

Dilkash claimed that he and his friends obeyed the orders and repeated the religious chant, but the group still beat them up with bamboo sticks.

According to police, some locals called up the police control room, following which Dilkash and his friends were taken to Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Rohini for medico-legal counseling.

The doctors there found “no fresh external injuries” on Ajmal and Naeem, but Dilkash was sent for X-ray after he complained of severe pain to his left forearm. The fracture in his arm was confirmed by X-ray report which police again sent for a medical opinion.   

Meanwhile, an official privy to the investigation said during interrogation the accused have claimed that a scuffle broke out between them and the three boys. They denied the allegation that they forced Dilkash and his two friends to chant any religious slogan. Also, police claimed that Dilkash did not mention about the part of the incident wherein they were forced to chant “Jai Mata Ki”.

The case was registered on Tuesday and arrests were made after the investigations, the DCP added.