By Mirza Mosaraf Hossain

Nadia: Four people were beaten up in West Bengal’s Nadia district over allegation that beef was present in a Hindu locality.

The police have imposed Section 144 of the Indian Penal Code that forbids assembly of more than five people at one place.

The incident occurred on September 15 evening at Patikabari, a village more than 165 km from the state capital of Kolkata. Local Hindus marched toward Nakashipara police station, some 35 km from the village, chanting “Jai Shri Ram” (Hail Lord Ram) and “Bharat mata ki jay” (victory to Mother India.)

They also used abusive anti-Muslim slogans, reports twocircles.net.

The Hindu marchers complained that the Muslims had left slices of beef in Mathpara, a Hindu enclave in the village. The mob, during their return through the Chenga village from the police station, broke the doors and walls of the village mosque at around 7:30 pm. This led to a tussle between the two communities in two villages. One of the injured is said to be serious.

The incident has led to tension in the area a few weeks ahead of Durga Puja, the greatest festival of West Bengal.

The injured were returning to their villages from Bethuadahari.

Nadia district in red
Mizai Sheikh one of the wounded told TwoCircles.net that some 350 people stopped his bike when he was returning home from his small business at Bethuadarhari town. The mob asked his name and village. “Then suddenly they started to hit me and forced me to say ‘Jay Shri Ram’. The next thing I remember is waking up in the hospital. I don’t know who carried me over here.” He added that he needed nine stitches for his injury.

Murad Rahaman Mallick, another victim, said he was returning with his cousin after visiting a patient in Bethuadahari hospital. The mob stopped them and took away their bike’s key and forced them to chant Jai Shri Ram. “We ran away leaving behind my bike,” he added.

Mukul Mia, the Officer-in-Charge of Nakashipara Police Station, said despite these incidents, the situation is now under control. “Till now 28 persons are arrested from the two communities and they have been dispatched to the court. Further investigation is going on,” he told TwoCircles.net.

This area had also seen communal tensions in July when an imam was beaten up on his way to a nearby village mosque.