Muslim family in Gurgaon assaulted over cricket dispute

A gang of 20-25 men in Gurugram barged into a Muslim family's house and beat them with sticks and rods on Holi evening, allegedly over a cricket dispute.

A report on The Indian Express and News 18 says that the incident began when a few men say a group of kids playing cricket on a vacant plot and demanded them to "go to Pakistan and play".

The incident took place at the house of Mohammad Sajid, who hails from Uttar Pradesh. According to an FIR filed in the case, Sajid's nephew Dilshaad said the incident began when two men came to them on a bike and said: "What are you doing here? Go to Pakistan and play", which resulted in a fight.

Sajid intervened in the fight and was beaten up by the unknown men, who left and returned with six boys on two bikes and several men on foot, armed with spears, sticks and swords.

The boys ran into the house upon seeing the crowd, but the men demanded they step out. When the boys refused, the men broke into the house and beat the occupants up. The incident was captured on cellphone, which showed the assailants beat up the men and flee with valuables.

A case has been registered under IPC sections 148 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly), 307 (attempt to murder), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees), 452 (house trespass), and 506 (criminal intimidation). The police have said that some of the assailants have been identified and six people have been arrested for attempt to murder.

Sameena, Sajid's wife, said that the assailants made off with a pair of gold earrings, a gold chain and 25,000 rupees in cash after damaging their windows and cars and beating up the people in the house. The family has alleged that the assault was planned by a group backed by a Hindutva outfit.