Right-wing mob at Bareilly cafe

Bareilly: Three days after her private birthday party with friends, including two Muslim male students, at a Bareilly café was stormed by vigilantes over allegations of ‘love jihad', a 22-year-old final-year nursing student from Badaun said she has not stepped out of her relative's home and is struggling with fear and embarrassment.

Speaking to TOI on Tuesday, she said the assault on her friends has left her questioning whether she must now "choose friends based on religion".On Dec 27, around two dozen men, purportedly from right-wing groups, barged into the city café and allegedly assaulted her friends while raising ‘love jihad' slogans. Five people have been arrested so far, police said, but the key accused, Rishabh Thakur and Deepak Pathak, are yet to be held.

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"I feel deeply ashamed that my friends were harassed and assaulted for their faith. I'm afraid to even leave the house alone. It has ruined my image everywhere," she said. "Who gave these men the right to decide who I should be friends with?"She said she had organised the party only after taking permission from her parents, who never objected to her friendships. "They know who my friends are. If they have no objection, then who are these men to try to guide me?" she asked, adding that neither her upbringing nor her profession teaches her to judge or differentiate between people.

The woman, originally from Badaun and currently staying with her aunt in Bareilly, said she left her institute hostel after the incident, which triggered sharp reactions from both sides on social media platforms."Police should find out who tipped them off. Everyone on social media is saying that I was part of ‘love jihad'," she said. "I would kill myself if no strict action is taken against those men, and they will be responsible for it."Initially, local police issued a fine against the Muslim students and the café owner for "breach of peace", while no immediate action was taken against the perpetrators. BNSS sections 170 (empowers police to make preventive arrests without a magistrate's order or a warrant), 126 (security for keeping peace in other cases) and 135 (inquiry into truth of information) were registered against the two students, who were later released after preventive action, circle officer Ashutosh Shivam had said.The case took a turn only after a section of social media on Sunday sharply criticised the handling of the sensitive matter. Hours later, Bareilly SP (city) Manush Pareek said those seen attacking inside the café had been identified, and an FIR was registered under BNS sections 333 (house trespass), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 352 (intentional insult), 351 (criminal intimidation) and 191 (rioting).On Monday, police arrested Prince Singh, 19; Aakash, 21; Ashish Kumar, 26; Mridul Dubey, 22; and Deepak, 19, in connection with the case.