Man suffers skull fracture after someone hits him with stick; his family blames police

A 23-year-old man suffered a skull fracture after someone hit him with a stick while he was riding a two-wheeler in Vakola area.

Mumbai: A 23-year-old man suffered a skull fracture after someone hit him with a stick while he was riding a two-wheeler in Vakola area of the city, with his family members alleging that he was injured after a policeman whacked him on his head with his baton during a ‘nakabandi’.

The incident occurred in the wee hours of September 29, when Eid-e-Milad celebrations were on, and victim, Imran Sheikh, was visiting dargahs in the city with his friend on the occasion, police said on Wednesday.

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Based on a complaint lodged by the victim’s friend Ejaz Khan, the police on Wednesday registered a case against an unidentified person for hitting the victim on his head and injuring him.

As per the complaint, Sheikh was riding the motorcycle while the complainant was riding pillion. They were on their way to Oshiwara from the Mahim Dargah. But when they reached the Western Express Highway (WEH) in Vakola, they found a number of two-wheeler riders taking a U-turn and warning others not to proceed further as there was a ‘nakabandi’ (police check-post) ahead.

As they also started turning back, two persons in plain clothes attacked them with bamboo sticks. While one of them hit their motorcycle, Imran was hit on his head. After that, they started running away from the spot, but Imran felt uneasy and vomited on the spot, it said.

His friend provided first aid to the victim and took him to his residence. From there, he was taken to civic-run Bhabha Hospital in Kurla before being referred to the KEM Hospital, where a CT scan was carried out and found that the victim had suffered a fracture on his skull, the complaint said.

The victim’s father, Razzak Sheikh, alleged that a ‘nakabandi’ was put in place at the spot and who, except the police personnel, would have dared to hit someone with a bamboo stick.

“We want justice as our entire family is in a state of shock. Vakola police should check their record and see who were posted at the nakabandi on the WEH. They should examine the CCTV footage,” he said.

A police official said an FIR under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and 34 (common intention) was registered against an unidentified person and further investigation was underway.