Nuh violence accused brother of Bittu Bajrangi set on fire in Faridabad

Mahesh Panchal is the brother of infamous cow ranger Bittu Bajrangi alias Rajkumar, who was arrested in connection with the communal violence in Nuh earlier this year.

Faridabad, Haryana: Unidentified assailants allegedly poured petrol on Nuh’s brother and accused Bittu Bajrangi of setting him on fire in Haryana’s Faridabad district on Thursday. The victim suffered severe burns and was taken to a private hospital for treatment, police said.

An official said the victim, Mahesh Panchal, was attacked by a group of men on Wednesday evening who doused him with petrol and set him on fire.

BIG BREAKING: Bittu Bajrangi, brother of Hindu Karyakarta, was set on fire in Faridabad by a gang of 6 to 8 people who had come in a Wagon-R car!

He even jumped into the water to avoid the fire, but the flammable liquid was far too strong. He is almost 60% burned.

Bajrangi has pleaded with the… pic.twitter.com/ViUzp2RfTi

— Treeni (@_treeni) December 14, 2023

Mahesh is the brother of infamous cow ranger Bittu Bajrangi alias Rajkumar, who was arrested in connection with the communal violence in Nuh earlier this year. Bajrangi is the self-styled national president of the right-wing cow vigilante group Goraksha Bajrang Force.

According to police, Bajrangi’s younger brother Mahesh Panchal was allegedly attacked by at least five men on Wednesday evening. They allegedly poured petrol on Panchal and set him on fire at Chacha Chowk in Baba Mandi, Faridabad, police said.

After inquiring about the incident, a police team reached the hospital. Panchal told police he recognized one of the attackers. Later, police investigated the scene of the alleged incident.

A senior police officer said they are verifying the facts and an investigation is underway. The perpetrators will be arrested soon, he said.

Bajrangi arrested in Nuh violence case

Earlier, in August this year, Bittu Bajrangi was arrested by Haryana police in connection with the Nuh communal violence that raged in Nuh and Gurgaon districts of the state. The police had filed a case against Bajrangi and fifteen to twenty others in connection with the violence that broke out in Nuh on July 31.

Bittu Bajrangi is accused of inflaming communal tensions and raising slogans in front of a female police officer in Nuh with weapons like swords. He was arrested after interrogation, a Faridabad police spokesperson had said.

A case was registered against him and 15 to 20 others in Thana Sadar, Nuh, under the Illegal Arms Act and relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). On July 31, communal violence had broken out between two groups in Haryana’s Nuh district, leaving six people dead, including two Home Guards.

However, days after the violence, the Nuh government launched an anti-encroachment campaign in a crackdown and destroyed several commercial shops, including those where stone pelting occurred during the violence.

Moreover, as many as 156 people were arrested and 56 FIRs were linked to the violence and riots in Nuh district, according to the Haryana government.

(With input from agencies)