Minors brutalised over suspicion of phone theft in Ghaziabad

GHAZIABAD: Two minors, aged 16 and 17, and a 24-year-old man were confined, beaten up and injected with petrol in their anus by syringes used on cattle by the brother

GHAZIABAD: Two minors, aged 16 and 17, and a 24-year-old man were confined, beaten up and injected with petrol in their anus by syringes used on cattle by the brother of a local politician on suspicion that they stole a mobile phone.

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The two minors are admitted to a hospital in Delhi while the 24-year-old victim is admitted to a hospital in Loni.

The brother of one of the two minor victims said several men, including the three victims, were picked up by Rizwan Qureshi and his accomplices on October 12.

They were taken to Qureshi’s dairy at Garhi Sablu in Loni. Rizwan is younger brother of Haji Ehsan Qureshi, a local politician. Ehsan is a former city president of the Samajwadi Party.

“The three were brutally beaten up. When they told Rizwan’s men that they did not steal the phone, one of them suggested using petrol. They injected petrol into my brother’s private parts with syringes used on buffaloes,” said Akram, elder brother of the 16-year-old victim.

“The other two got the same treatment. Doctors say that my brother will require surgery, if he does not respond to medicines,” he said.

The news spread around the area on WhatsApp. The police, taking cognizance of the message, arrested Rizwan and one of this accomplices, Akil, on Monday.

Among other charges, the police have registered cases under sections that deal with causing grievous hurt by dangerous means and unnatural offences.

“Doctors told us that both the minors might have suffered permanent damage to their organs due to petrol,” said Anil Kumar Yadav, circle officer(Loni). “The victims are under treatment. We have added stringent sections to the FIR and arrested two accused. The third will be arrested soon,” said Yadav.

The 24-year-old victim said several men were taken to the dairy just because they were in the area when the politician’s brother thought his phone got stolen.

“Several men took us to Rizwan’s dairy around 9.30am on October 12. In all, 8-9 people were taken to the dairy and three of us were beaten and injected with petrol. Firoz, one of Rizwan’s friends, had warned us that they will inject petrol again,” the victim said.

Ehsan Qureshi rejected the allegations and described it as a political conspiracy by his rivals. He said his brother was being implicated. He claimed that he made his brother “surrender” before the police on Monday.