Mangaluru: A college student belonging to a Muslim community was thrashed black and blue by ten unidentified men allegedly connected to saffron outfits, for posing with his female classmates belonging to a Hindu community.
The ‘controversial picture’, where a boy lies on the lap of five girls in the class room, went viral on a Social Media and text messengers from Friday. The boy, who was identified as Mohammed Swali, was criticized by a section of people, for lying on the girl’s lap and claimed obscenity and Love Jihad.
However, the issue turned more hostile on Sunday. Over dozens of men took Mohammed Riyaz, who was seen in the corner of the controversial picture, to a secluded place and attacked him with wooden sticks and knife.
Riyaz, who is badly beaten with bruises all over his body, is undergoing treatment in the Intense Care Unit (ICU), at a private hospital in the city.
He told newskarnataka.com, that two of his classmates had come home as usual and took me with them to settle a matter. On the way, over dozen men stopped the bike, blindfolded me and forcefully took me to a deserted place.
“They then, asked if I was a Muslim and went on kicking me with shoes and hitting me with thick wooden sticks, for clicking picture with Hindu girls”, he narrated.
Riyaz said, “They asked where is Swali (the boy who seen lying on the girls lap). I did not know where he was. When I asked for water, they poured alcohol in my mouth”, he recalls.
“Those men striped me and thrashed my bear body. Some of them kicked on my private parts, while others thrashed me down. I cried for help”, he says with tears in his eyes.
His father Abdul Rahman, who is attending him in the hospital, said that he got a call from his son at 3.30pm. “He did not know where he was. We went all over searching him and brought him to the hospital”, he says.
Meanwhile, Imthiyaz, social activist, who was at the hospital, blamed the police for negligence. The row over photo was spread all over from Saturday. The police have not considered the safety of boys and girls, he said adding there were rumors that one of the girl committed suicide out of shame.
