India / Nihang breaks man's leg after he refuses to give him a chicken for free at Singhu border

NEW DELHI: A labourer was allegedly thrashed by a protester at Singhu border for refusing to give him chicken. The accused, who claims to be a Nihang Sikh, has been arrested.

Two videos of the purported incident went viral on social media. The alleged victim, Manoj Paswan, was seen narrating his ordeal to people. The victim claimed he had taken chicken from a farm on his cart to deliver them someplace across the protest site when a “Sardarji” demanded the birds from him. “I took out a slip to show him that the number of chicken I was carrying was mentioned in it, so I couldn’t fulfil his demand,” said Paswan.

The protester got infuriated and started thrashing him. Paswan claimed he was also beaten up with a stick carried by the man. “When he hit me, I took out a slip and told him that the chickens were counted and I could lose the job if I gave one to him,” he added.

The people who shot the video claimed that one of his legs was fractured. Another person who tried to save him was also thrashed. Later, another video surfaced in which other alleged Nihangs beat up one of their men and then took him somewhere.

A senior officer in Sonipat police said they had arrested the accused, identified as Naveen from Karnal in Haryana. “A few months ago, he came to the protest site and became a Nihang. He was living with a group of Nihang Sikhs,” he added. Another officer said, “I saw him yesterday. He was there at the border in a Nihang’s dress carrying a weapon. He told us that he was a Jat.”

Earlier, a 35-year-old man was beaten up by a mob, allegedly led by Nihangs, at a protest site in Kundli. The victim’s left hand was chopped off and both his legs were fractured with a blunt object last Friday. Four Nihangs were arrested in this case.