Employer, aides beat up youth for not repaying loan

A 26-year-old man from Manipur sustained a broken hand after being assaulted with sticks by his employer and associates for failing to pay a debt in west Delhi’s Kirti Nagar late on Wednesday.

Joseph, a call centre employee and resident of north-east Delhi’s Mansarovar Park, said he was attacked after being confined in a room in his office at 11 pm.

According to police, Joseph asked his employer Ankur Wadhwa for a small loan for the treatment of his ailing mother some months ago and promised to pay it back within a stipulated period.

But when Joseph failed to pay within the deadline, Ankur and his security personnel Rajan, Amarjeet and Hardeep dragged Joseph into a room in the office and assaulted him for several minutes.

“Joseph was not going to office for the past three days. On Friday, Ankur called up Joseph and told him to meet him in the office to settle certain things,” said Joseph’s friend Romeo.

When he reached office, he was told to sit in a room. Soon, Ankur came there with his security personnel and attacked without any warning. “Joseph was hit with sticks. He tried to shield himself with his hands and sustained a fracture,” Romeo added.

The four accused have been arrested. Police said it was not an incident of hate crime as it was a “dispute over unpaid loan”.

A case under sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 341 (wrongful restraint) was registered with Kirti Nagar police station. Joseph insisted on addition of section 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code and sections under Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Initial medical examination revealed Joseph suffered a fractured arm and injuries on his face and upper torso.

“We are awaiting the medical report, and will surely add more sections to the FIR if there is a need to do so,” Additional Commissioner of Police (West) Ranvir Singh said.