25 August 2024: In Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, Mohammad Aslam, a Muslim Zomato delivery agent, was assaulted, subjected to Islamophobic abuse, and held hostage for over an hour by four men. The incident occurred late on the night of August 20-21.
Aslam was delivering food to a house in Virat Khand, Gomti Nagar when he was locked in a room, beaten, and had liquor poured on him. The attackers, who reacted aggressively upon learning Aslam’s Muslim identity, also threatened to shoot him.
The police have filed a criminal case against the attackers, identifying one suspect, Abhishek Dubey, who has been arrested. The FIR includes charges under Sections 115 (2) for causing hurt, 351 (2) for criminal intimidation, 127 (2) for wrongful restraint, and 352 for provoking a breach of peace.
Despite Aslam’s allegations of religious discrimination, the police have described the assault as stemming from a dispute related to the delivery.
