Muslim Man Assaulted In UP's Loni, Attackers Forcibly Cut His Beard

Police have registered a case and arrested a Pravesh Gujjar - believed to be the main accused - and are still looking for the others

An elderly Muslim man was brutally assaulted in the town of Loni in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad district on June 5 while on his way to a mosque to offer prayers. The attackers allegedly abducted Abdul Samad from an autorickshaw and dragged him to a hut in a nearby forested area, where they reportedly shouted 'Jai Shri Ram' and 'Vande Mataram' as they slapped and punched him, and beat him with wooden sticks. They reportedly also accused Mr Samad of being a Pakistani spy. One of the attackers - a young man wearing a white full-sleeve T-shirt and blue sweatpants - also threatened Mr Samad with a knife that he used to forcibly hack away at his beard.