A 25-year-old man, Mohammad Faisal, was allegedly attacked by a group of people in Rajasthan’s Jaipur on February 3, 2018. The deceased was identified as a migrant worker from Uttar Pradesh and succumbed to his injuries on February 21.

Silent spectators

As per the police investigation, Faisal had taken the two-year-old daughter of his neighbour Aslam Ansari to a market on February 3 at around 11 am. Later, Ansari came to know that Faisal has left his daughter somewhere in the market as he came back alone. However, when the neighbour reached the market area to look for his child, he found his daughter. When he was returning along with his daughter, Ansari was in a complete jolt to see that Faisal was tied to an electric pole in Jaipur’s Vishwakarma area. He saw that his clothes were torn and he was brutally beaten by the mob who mistook him for kidnapping and molesting Aslam’s daughter.

Later, a video of the incident was widespread on social media. It was captured by a few spectators on their cellphones. Unfortunately, not a single man or woman came forward to the victim’s rescue. It was found that the mob of about 50 people kicked him, slapped him and beat him with a stick. One of them even suggested to slit his throat with a sword. Mob claimed that Faisal had not only molested this two-year child but also tried to abduct two other girls from their locality.

Ansari’s testimony and police investigation

It was Ansari who instantly called the police and took Faisal to the hospital. Faisal who was from UP’s Kanpur worked at a shoe factory. “He could not hurt my child as he was mentally unstable,” Ansari told the Police. After Faisal’s death, his body was handed over to his family.

With help of a video footage, the police have so far arrested two people. One of them was identified as Mahendra Kala who is said to be involved in many criminal incidents in the past.

Ratan Singh, in charge of Vishwakarma police station, said, “We have charged the accused Mahendra Kala with murder, and we are also searching for the other accused.”

The Logical Indian take

It cannot be reiterated enough – you cannot take the law into your own hands. Miscreants have time and again believed themselves to be above the law, acting on the impunity they enjoy due to lack of accountability. What are we heading to if we would rather take videos on phone of a man being brutally beaten, rather than coming to his aid. The entire episode also points fingers at our law enforcers. A crime happened in broad daylight, but the police wasn’t there on time. We need to create a society that is more tolerant; one that is not depraved.