New Delhi: An 18-year-old boy and two of his friends have alleged that they were beaten up by three youths when they refused to chant a religious slogan at a park outside their school in outer Delhi's Begumpur area.
Talking to news agency ANI, one of the three youths, Mohd Dilkash, said that the trio had gone to a park nearby when some men came and slapped one of his friends and asked him to say 'Jai Mata ki'.
They said they would kill us if we don't chant 'Jai Mata ki`, 'Jai Bharat'. But we didn't say, added Dilkash.
Another youth Mohd Ajmal told the news agency that they were not even given a chance to say anything. “We then called up our teacher, he came and called up police,” added Ajmal.
Meanwhile, an uncle of one of the accused said the youths had an argument while playing cricket. He further rubbished allegations that the row was erupted over not saying 'Jai Mata ki'.
The incident took place on March 26.
However, the police said that the boy did not mention any such thing in his statement on the day of the incident and there were "inconsistencies" in his versions.
According to police, three boys called up the police control room complaining about a fight.
When a police team reached there, it was told that they were allegedly beaten up with sticks by three other youths, aged between 18 and 21, at a park near a madrasa in the area.
The three boys were taken for medical check up, following which no injuries were found on the bodies of two while one had a fracture. An X-ray has confirmed the fracture.
The injured boy later told police that he was asked to chant "Jai Mata di" and his statement was recorded again.
After the police had recorded his second statement, they said they got to know from sources that the boy told others that he and his friends were asked to chant "Bharat Mata ki Jai".
However, the boy has not mentioned about having been asked to chant the slogan to the police yet, the official said.
A case has been registered under IPC sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 325 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt) and 341 (wrongful restraint) and an investigation is on.
(With Agency inputs)
