A 21-year-old student from Assam was brutally beaten in South Delhi’s Amar Colony on Friday by residents who allegedly thought he was a burglar. The student, Arbazuddin Ahmed from Guwahati, is in hospital with fractures to his limbs and jaw. Police claim he was found trying to pick the lock to a neighbour’s house, allegedly in drunken stupor, which led to a brawl while his family members claim Arbaz was assaulted after he raised his voice against purported racial slurs.
Police say Arbaz had returned in the early hours of Friday, the day of Holi, and mistook his neighbour’s place for his own. When his keys did not work, he allegedly tried to prise open the lock. Meanwhile, hearing the sounds, the owner of the house and neighbours woke up. Thinking that he was a thief, they thrashed him. Arbaz, an IAS aspirant, has lived in the area for the past two years.
Police Commissioner BS Bassi said a case on the basis of the victim’s statement has been filed. Bassi said it would be incorrect to call it a racial attack. “While we are investigating with an open mind, prima facie it is not a racial attack,” Bassi said. According to a police officer, Arbaz — who hails from Guwahati in Assam — was beaten up by two men from the same locality the night before Holi on March 5. The attackers told police that a drunk Arbaz was trying to prise the lock open and upon enquiry, was abusive.
Arbaz, who is pursuing a Master’s in Commerce from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), has been living in a rented accommodation in Amar Colony for the past two years. Following a call from the locals around 1.30 am that they had caught a thief, a police team was rushed to the spot and took him to the hospital. A PCR team took him to AIIMS Trauma Centre where doctors said that he had fractured his right arm and broken his jaw. His family reached Delhi on March 6 and registered a complaint. The youth was later shifted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. Arbaz’s uncle Yasmin told The Pioneer that he has had surgery as well.
“It is a racial attack. The attackers mocked him daily. Even on the fateful night, he was called a jungle (animal) and when he protested, he was attacked,” said Yasmin. Deputy Commissioner of Police (South-East) Mandeep Singh Randhawa told The Pioneer several people have been questioned and allegations of police bias are being verified. “The accused will be arrested,” said Randhawa.