A US national was allegedly assaulted in Chennai by members of a group called Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamath (TNTJ) on Thursday. The TNTJ group claimed that the man was hurting their religious sentiments and trying to convert people, reported M Sathish of The New Indian Express.
Butler William Keith, a 39-year-old man who hails from Texas, was taken to Pallavaram police station by TNTJ members. They also filed a complaint at the station stating that William tried to hurt their religious sentiments.
TNIE reported that 100 people from TNTJ also started protesting outside the police station asking for strict action to be taken against William.
However, later, police filed an FIR against TNTJ group for assaulting the US national. The US national informed the police that he had gone to meet a friend Abdul Hassan in Pallavaram. He said that he was then taken to another house and locked up in a room and assaulted by eight people. Then, later they brought him to the police station.
The FIR was filed against Abdul Haasan and other men for assaulting a person with weapons and also charges of wrongful confinement.
A Syed Ibrahim, leader of the Kanchipuram unit said that they had a minor scuffle with William. He told TNIE that he was saying that Christianity was better than Islam and he also gave Rs. 5000 to persuade him to convert into Christianity. He also added that such a practice was regular in Pallavaram area as people from economically poor families are targeted.
A police officer told TNIE that they found that the US national was involved in religious conversion but he was doing it on his own and not with any organization or group.