Vicky Hiwale after the attack (Image: Organiser)
In yet another distressing manifestation of religious intolerance, a Hindu man named Vicky Hiwale fell victim to a vicious attack in Maharashtra’s Jalna, purportedly due to his affinity for Bhagwan Ram. The assailants, identified as Sameer and Ehsan, unleashed violence upon Vicky for the mere fact of having a Ram Bhajan as his mobile ringtone. As they wielded a bamboo stick as their weapon, it is reported that Sameer seemed oblivious to the gravity of his actions.
The harrowing incident, which occurred on May 12, was not promptly reported by the police until May 17, when a formal complaint was eventually lodged.
Shockingly, despite the severity of the assault, no arrests have been made in connection with the case.
Meanwhile, Vicky Hiwale continues to grapple with the aftermath, confined to his home due to the sustained injuries.
A First Information Report (FIR number: 256/2024) was officially registered at the Partur Police Station in Jalna district on May 17, based on the detailed statement provided by Vicky Hiwale.
In his complaint, Vicky, a 27-year-old daily wage worker residing in Pramuddha Nagar, Partur T, Partur Distt, Jalna, recounted the sequence of events leading to the brutal assault. On the fateful evening of May 12, around 8:30 pm, he and his fiancée, Vicky Bhaskarrao Ghuge, went out for a routine outing to Chand Bhai’s Dilkash Hotel on Selu Partur Road for dinner.
After securing a table, they were confronted by Sameer, an acquaintance from Sartaj Colony, Partur, along with an unfamiliar individual named Ehsan. Despite their innocuous exchange, the situation quickly escalated when Sameer, seemingly without provocation, struck Vicky with a wooden stick, causing him to collapse in pain and shock.
Amidst the chaos, the perpetrators fled the scene, leaving Vicky grievously injured and bleeding profusely. He was promptly rushed to Gaikwad Hospital by his brother for urgent medical treatment.
Subsequently, Vicky was transferred to Jalna Gaikwad Hospital and later to Kalawati Hospital for further treatment.
In his initial statement on May 13, given while undergoing medical care, he initially described the assailants as “two unknown persons.” However, upon reflection, he realised that he was acquainted with one of them, Sameer, albeit without knowledge of his full name.
Feeling compelled to seek justice, Vicky resolved to formally report the incident to the authorities, urging them to take swift and decisive action against the perpetrators.
Based on Vicky’s complaint, the accused individuals have been charged under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 326 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult), and 34 (act done by several people with common intention).
Regrettably, no arrests have been made thus far.
In a conversation with Organiser on May 22, Vicky’s wife, Vidhi, revealed the dire impact of the incident on their family. Vicky, who served as the sole provider, is now bedridden, causing a significant disruption to their livelihood.
Vidhi, a homemaker, is left to care for their three-year-old child alone.
Due to the challenges of shuttling between home, hospital, and police stations daily, Vidhi has brought Vicky back home.
It is worth noting that Vicky sustained severe injuries and was hospitalised for four consecutive days, undergoing intensive treatment.
Expressing frustration with the lack of progress in the case, Vidhi lamented the absence of arrests despite media coverage. She emphasised the urgency of apprehending the perpetrators.
“Is having a Ram Bhajan as a ringtone a crime, ma’am?” she queried, highlighting the absurdity of the situation.
In a strikingly similar incident, a Hindu shop owner named Mukesh was attacked by Islamists for playing Hanuman Chalisa and other Hindu devotional songs within his shop premises, situated near a mosque in Bengaluru, back in March of this year.
The incident gained widespread attention following the circulation of a viral video on social media, depicting a group of perpetrators assaulting Mukesh, the shop owner, in Siddannagalli.
Subsequently, Mukesh lodged a formal complaint at the Halasuru Gate police station, yet encountered reluctance from the authorities in taking action. In response, a sizable contingent of local traders congregated outside the police station, exerting pressure on law enforcement to pursue the matter earnestly. As a result, individuals identified as Suleiman, Shahnawaz, and Rohit were implicated as the principal culprits and booked accordingly.
Adding to the outcry, leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party orchestrated a large-scale protest, demanding stringent punishment in the wake of the incident. Mukesh recounted the ordeal, explaining that when he attempted to reason with the assailants regarding the timing of the Azaan, they rebuffed his attempts and proceeded to physically assault him, seizing him by the neck. According to Mukesh’s account, the assailants escalated the violence, brandishing threats of stabbing him with a knife when he ventured outside his shop to confront them.
Despite Mukesh’s assertion of a communal dimension to the attack, the police initially downplayed such concerns. However, in a surprising turn of events, the Halasuru Gate police station later filed a counter-complaint against Mukesh, reportedly at the behest of Mah Jabeen, the mother of one of the accused individuals, Suleiman.
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