Man thrashed after he tells people queued up at ATM ‘You are here because of Modi’

With the country reeling under a severe cash crisis, scuffles often break out regularly outside ATMs and bank branches as irate citizens use their fists to vent their ire.

A similar case came to the fore in South East Delhi’s Jaitpur area, when a painter was assaulted with a cricket stump, after he allegedly made fun of people for standing outside an ATM line by saying, “You are all standing in this line because of Modi”.

According to police, the incident took place on December 15 outside a State Bank of India ATM. The accused, identified as Asik, was standing outside the State Bank of India ATM to withdraw his money with several other people standing in the line.

The victim, Lallan Singh Kushwaha (45), a painter who lives with his family in a rented accommodation in Jaitpur, was passing nearby.

“I was going to buy a television from the local store which was adjacent to the ATM. When I reached the store, I saw the line outside the ATM. I just shouted, you are all standing in the line because of Modi. Hearing this Asik picked a fight with me,” said Lallan, in his complaint.

Asik allegedly started abusing Lallan, after which the two of them got involved in a fight. Asik then went onto beat Lallan, who tried to flee the spot. The former then took out a cricket stump and went onto assault Lallan.

“He beat me and also took my money. I received severe injuries on my body but I managed to make a PCR call and inform the police,” he said.

Police reached the spot and brought the injured to AIIMS trauma centre. They conducted his medico-legal case and are now going through CCTV footage of the nearby area to ascertain the whereabouts of the accused.

“We had recorded his statement and a case has been registered in this regard. So far the accused has not been caught. He has been identified to be a resident of D-96 Jagatpuri and efforts are on to apprehend him,” said a senior police official.