Post News Network
Jajpur, Jan 16: In a barbaric incident, local vendors allegedly beat up a hawker from Maharashtra in Baruneswar Mela here and kicked the abdomen of his pregnant wife. The woman was rendered unconscious after the incident.
Worse, he had to apologise to his assaulters as police didn’t came to his rescue, a tearful Bhagat Bhusle of Mudi Jafur village of Maharashtra said. Reports said Bhagat, travelling across the country, sells fibre plates, bowls and spoons to eke out a living. He along with his wife Maya (20) came to Baruneswar festival five days ago to put up his stall. He also paid Rs 500 for the purpose. However, Bhagat found a ‘gupchup’ hawker’s stall January 15 on his allotted place. The local hawker didn’t care when Bhagat requested him to vacate the place. Following this, there was an argument between the two. Other locals vendors, supporting the ‘gupchup’ vendor, beat him up. They also beat up his wife when she tried to oppose them.
They didn’t hesitate to boot his wife’s abdomen when she fell down. A pregnant Maya was wreathing in pain, but none of the vendors dared to come to her rescue fearing the locals. Later, she lost consciousness.
Alerted, Bijharpur police reached the spot and took them to the beat house. Meanwhile, Hemendra Samal, the husband of the local sarpanch, in a bid to settle the issue mutually, hoodwinked them from the beat house. Locals held Bhagat responsible for the entire episode and asked him to apologise. Later, Hemendra sent Bhagat and his wife to the district headquarters hospital where doctors advised an ultrasonography to check the health of the unborn child. “No case has been registered over the issue,” IIC Asit Ranjan Mohanty said.
Bhagat is not interested to resume business in the fair after being beaten up by locals. Some other locals condemned the incident.
