Six attack Vadodara cop, hurl communal slurs at him

Vadodara: A constable with Vadodara rural police was attacked by six persons who allegedly hurled communal slurs at him ner Ajwa Road. Five of the accused were arrested by Panigate police station Saturday.

Aarif Sheikh, a constable with motor transport branch, was returning to his home near Mahavir Hall crossroads on Ajwa Road on August 23 when the incident took place.

Sheikh stated in his complaint that a teenage boy made some hand gestures at him while crossing the road. “I stopped my bike and told him to be careful while crossing, but he hurled abuses at me,” Sheikh said. When Sheikh confronted the boy, he held his shirt and hurled communal slur at him.

As the duo was squabbling, five persons – Akash alias Bittu Desai, Kiran Mali, Viraj alias Sonu Mistry, Shailesh Rathod and Arvind Mali – rushed there and started beating up Sheikh. “One of them pulled my beard and hurled abuses at my religion while the others continued to punch me. They fled when some passers-by intervened,” Sheikh told TOI.

Sheikh alleged that during the melee he was also robbed of his wallet which contained Rs 1,000 cash. He called up the police control room as he had suffered minor injuries on his face. Later, he went to Panigate police station where an offence of assault, rioting and criminal intimidation was registered.

“The accused are all residents of Ajwa Road and they claim that they did not know that Sheikh was a cop as he was not wearing his uniform. They said that they attacked him as they were under the impression that Sheikh was beating up the boy,” said inspector F R Rathwa of Panigate police station. Rathwa said that the minor aged boy was allowed to go after his statement was taken.

Sheikh said that he is in the police force for the last 22 years.