Gorakhpur: A pregnant woman was allegedly assaulted and forced to do squats after her husband quit his job at a local spice shop in Gorakhpur’s Gola area.While the incident took place on July 18, an FIR in this connection was lodged on Monday.According to police, Shivam Sharma (24), a resident of Kauvadil village, worked at a spice shop owned by one Ratan Bhardwaj for a monthly salary of Rs 7,000. Citing financial difficulties, he quit his job 10 days ago. On July 18 around 7pm, Bhardwaj along with one Kush Sharma barged inside Shivam’s house and thrashed him with sticks, bricks, belts, and rods. When Shivam’s pregnant wife Khushboo tried to intervene, she was pushed to the ground. Shockingly, the attackers forced her to do 25 squats, leading to her health deteriorating. Shivam’s 75-year-old father pleaded for mercy, but the accused did not pay any heed. The victim alleged that Bhardwaj regularly carries an illegal firearm and his father Mukesh Sharma, a retired policeman, and uncle late Murari Sharma have criminal backgrounds. Murari was reportedly sentenced to life imprisonment for 12 murders and died in jail. Mukesh Sharma was jailed for 15 months allegedly in connection with a murder before retiring as a constable.Station house officer (SHO) Anjul Kumar confirmed that an FIR has been filed against Ratan Bhardwaj and Kush Sharma under relevant sections. Both accused are currently absconding and police teams are conducting raids to arrest them.
