A Muslim boy was beaten in India for entering and drinking water from a Hindu temple.
The incident initially came to light when footage of the incident circulated on social media. The event took place on Thursday in the city of Dasna in the Ghaziabad district, which lies in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
According to the Indian media, the 14-year-old boy had entered the temple to drink water when he was noticed by the temple caretaker, Shringi Nandan Yadav, 23, who proceeded to beat the boy, according to the boy’s family while speaking to the local media.
“My son stopped to drink water from a tap located inside the temple as he was thirsty. He was beaten up after they asked about his identity. He suffered a head injury,” said the father, adding that his son usually didn’t frequent the temple and has been told to stay clear of it in the future.
The clip shows Yadav asking the victim, Asif, his name and mercilessly thrashing him
“He was badly beaten up and humiliated. Does water have a religion? I don’t think there is any religion that can refuse water to a thirsty person,” Asif’s family stated.
Later on, Ghaziabad police took notice of the incident and arrested the main accused, Yadav, along with Shivanand Saraswati, another caretaker who had recorded the incident.
