Muslim Man With Amputated Hands Accused Of Stone Pelting In Khargone, His Shop Razed

Following the riots that broke out in Madhya Pradesh¡¯s Khargone district during the Ram Navami procession, the houses and shops of those named in the riots were marked and razed to dust, all of whom were Muslims.

The action by the Madhya Pradesh government was reportedly taken based on First Information Reports (FIR) filed by police after witnesses and victims filed complaints. One of the victims of the state¡¯s demolition drive was Wasim Sheikh whose shop was razed.

Twitter

No hands, but Wasim accused of pelting stones

But 35-year-old Wasim lost both his arms due to electrocution in 2005. Back then, he was a painter and got amputated while on job.

He ran a Gumti (shop) at Chhoti Mohan Talkies, his only source of livelihood, which was reportedly razed by officials on April 11, after he was named on the list of ¡°stone pelters¡°.

"How can I indulge in riots?"

"The government is saying that houses and shops of those who indulged in rioting have been demolished. How can I indulge in riots? I'm dependent on others, even for water. I have no means to feed my two children, wife and mother," Sheikh told India Today.

Aasif Mujtaba, a journalist and research scholar at IIT Delhi, tweeted, "There are a total of about 8 Muslim establishments that were razed. The administration accused them of pelting the stone, though the procession didn't pass from their locality at the first place."

There are a total of about 8 Muslim establishments that were razed. The administration accused them of pelting the stone, though the procession didn't pass from their locality at the first place.#KhargoneViolence pic.twitter.com/mLlr954hrH

¡ª Aasif Mujtaba (@MujtabaAasif) April 18, 2022

Sheikh denied he received any notice from the government terming his kiosk as illegal. However, a district administration official denied Sheikh's claim. "We have not demolished any kiosk belonging to Wasim," Khargone collector P Anugrah said.

Khargone violence

In another similar case, three Muslim men who have been in jail since March 5 were accused of rioting during Ram Navami procession in Khargone. Following the riots that took place on Sunday, the house of one of the men accused of rioting was demolished on 11 April, along with 16 other houses.

Twitter

Over 20 people were injured in the clashes. So far, 44 cases have been registered in connection with the violence and 148 people have been taken into custody, according to police.

For more on news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.