Three persons have been arrested for making fake charges of spitting and beating against a Muslim man in village Lakhwaya of district Meerut.

This is the second case in the last 24 hours in the region in which fake charges were made against people from the minority community which has been exposed by the police.

In village Lakhwaya of Kankerkhera Police Station of Meerut, Arun Kumar, a shopkeeper, had lodged a complaint against Naemuddin on Saturday night. He accused Naemuddiun of, who also resides in the same village, spitting on him to “infect him with Coronavirus” and also accused him of beating him.

Police immediately swung into action and started an investigation. Bijendra Singh, SHO of Kankerkhera Police Station said that the initial investigation suggests that the charges are false.

When interrogated, complainant Arun and his brother Manoj broke down before the police and accepted that they had implicated Naemuddin falsely. This they did on the advice of their friend Tarun after an altercation over a minute issue. Tarun too had personal enmity with Naemuddin and he took it as an opportunity to settle scores with him.

“A case under sections 153b, 269, 270, 188 and 193 of IPC has been registered against Arun, Manoj and Tarun on the complaint of sub-inspector Sarjesh Kumar,” told SHO Singh adding that all the three accused have been arrested on Sunday.

On Saturday night, Naemuddin went to purchase beedi from Arun’s shop that was open at that time. An altercation ensued between the two when Naemuddin objected to Arun for demanding Rs 12 for a bundle of Rs 10. It, however, ended up with reported manhandling of Naemuddin by Arun and his family members. Naemuddin left from there whereas Arun lodged a complaint against him at the police station making serious charges of an attempt of spreading Coronavirus by spitting on him. He also said in his complaint that he was beaten up by Naemuddin and showed marks made by coins to the police.

All this he did following the advice of his friend Tarun, told the SHO adding that the latter wanted to settle down his score with Naemuddin whose is the only Muslim family in the village.

Another incident of fake charges on Jamatis was reported from Saharanpur. Saharanpur police clarified through its tweet that the news regarding quarantined group of Jamatis here is fake. The news said that these Jamatis in quarantine demanded non-vegetarian food and when authorities refused to entertain this demand they defecated in open. Police also directed the media houses that the news circulated about the incident should be immediately deleted.