Mangaluru: A fresh development has emerged in the assault case at a Xerox shop in Darbe, Puttur, with victim Mubashira appealing to political parties and other groups not to turn the incident into a communal or political controversy.
The dispute, which reportedly began over a payment of Rs 300 and damage to a document during a lamination process, had later attracted wider attention and was portrayed by some as having a communal dimension. Mubashira, however, said she and her family had no intention of creating a Hindu-Muslim dispute and wanted the matter to end peacefully.
She appealed to all those involved to refrain from escalating the issue and specifically urged political parties, including the Congress, BJP and SDPI, not to use the incident for political gains.
Victim seeks peaceful end to dispute
Speaking to News First, Mubashira said she and her family wanted no further controversy over the incident.
According to her, the family had not anticipated that a dispute at a Xerox shop would eventually develop into a larger political and communal controversy.
She maintained that her family was only concerned about the alleged assault and the medical expenses incurred following the incident.
Mubashira said the person accused of assaulting them had already been arrested. She added that the family did not want anything beyond the expenses incurred for medical treatment.
“We do not want anything else,” she said, appealing to all concerned to allow the matter to end peacefully.
Her appeal comes amid attempts by different groups to associate the incident with wider communal and political issues.
‘We came directly to hospital’
Mubashira said the staff of the Xerox shop had allegedly assaulted her and her family during the dispute.
“We did nothing there. We came directly to the hospital and were admitted. We do not know what happened at the shop afterwards,” she said while speaking about the incident.
She also clarified that the people who later allegedly gathered at the spot and created a disturbance were neither known to her nor from her village.
The statement is significant as it distances the victim and her family from the developments that reportedly took place after they left the shop and sought medical treatment.
Mubashira said neither she nor her family wanted the incident to be projected as a conflict between communities.
Dispute reportedly began over damaged document
According to the victim’s family, the incident began when they visited the Xerox shop in Darbe to get a birth certificate laminated.
The certificate was allegedly damaged or burnt due to a technical issue during the process. This reportedly led to a heated argument between the customer and the shop staff.
The dispute reportedly involved an amount of Rs 300, following which the situation escalated.
What began as an argument over the payment and the damaged document allegedly resulted in an assault. The matter later gained wider attention after the incident was linked to a larger communal controversy.
Mubashira has now appealed for restraint, stating that the family never intended for a relatively minor dispute to take on such a serious dimension.
Family wants medical expenses covered
The victim said the accused person had already been arrested in connection with the alleged assault.
According to Mubashira, the family’s immediate concern is the medical treatment required following the incident.
She said the family only wanted the medical expenses to be covered and was not seeking any further demands or attempting to prolong the controversy.
The appeal reflects the family’s position that the case should be dealt with through the legal process without being used to create tension between communities or to advance political interests.
She urged everyone associated with the issue, including political parties and other groups, to respect the family’s wishes and refrain from making statements or taking actions that could further escalate the matter.
Appeal for restraint
The incident has highlighted how a local dispute can quickly gain a larger dimension once it enters the political and public arena.
Mubashira said her family had not expected the argument over a damaged document and Rs 300 to escalate into a major controversy.
She appealed for the matter to be brought to a peaceful conclusion and reiterated that neither she nor her family wanted a Hindu-Muslim dispute to emerge from the incident.
With the accused already arrested, the victim has urged authorities, political parties and members of the public to allow the legal process to take its course. The family’s stated priority remains the recovery of medical expenses rather than any political or communal mobilisation.
The fresh statement from Mubashira has brought a new perspective to the case, emphasising her family’s appeal for peace and restraint. As the matter proceeds through the legal process, her appeal remains clear — a local dispute should not be allowed to deepen communal divisions or become a tool for political advantage.