Couple critical after jumping from 2nd floor cafe as vigilantes check IDs, faiths; 2 held

Meerut: A 21-year-old fruit trader and his 19-year-old girlfriend were critically injured after jumping from the second floor of a pizza outlet in Shahjahanpur to escape a group of men allegedly linked to a right-wing outfit stormed the premises, shouted slogans and demanded identity proofs from customers, asking names and caste and recording videos.SHO Rakesh Maurya told TOI that the group entered the cafe on Saturday evening after receiving information that an "interfaith couple was present". SP Rajesh Dwivedi said, "Two accused, Abhishek Kumar and Sachin Kumar, both in their early 20s, were arrested based on CCTV footage from the cafe. Their associates are absconding. The arrested men have no criminal history and work as daily-wage labourers. Teams are working to arrest the remaining accused."According to the complaint, the couple showed their identity documents which confirmed they were Hindus, but the men allegedly continued to harass and intimidate them."Fearing physical assault and that videos would be circulated on social media, she jumped out of a window, following which I also leapt in an attempt to protect her," the injured man told police.The woman, who works at a private company, sustained multiple fractures in her leg, while the man suffered injuries to his legs and hands. Both were admitted to hospital and are stated to be in critical condition.In the aftermath of the incident, police said surprise inspections would be carried out at pizza outlets across the city. Cafe owners have been instructed to remove enclosed cabins, avoid the use of curtains and install transparent glass panels to prevent misuse of private spaces.
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