An Indian Air Force (IAF) officer and his father were allegedly beaten by members of a wedding procession on a busy road in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr on February 19, evening. The incident occurred in Jahangirbad’s New Pukhta market area, and a video has gone viral on social media.
The IAF officer, identified as Pratham Singh, and his father Jitendra, a school principal, were reportedly moving through the crowded market when they asked a wedding procession to make way of their vehicle. A traditional ‘ghudchadhi’ ceremony was underway at the time with loud music allegedly being played as participants danced on the road.
According to the victims, several members of the procession were holding liquor bottles and occupying the middle of the street, disrupting traffic. When the IAF officer and his father requested to clear passage, an argument allegedly broke out and quickly turned violent. The IAF officer and his father were reportedly beaten with sticks and rods by members of the crowd, leading to injuries that required hospitalization.
The victims have also alleged that a wristwatch and a gold chain went missing during the assault.
Police have registered a case against seven identified suspects from the wedding party and have arrested one person so far. Meanwhile, members of the procession have filed a counter-complaint. Authorities said the investigation is ongoing and further action will follow based in the findings.
Edited by: Priya Das