According to a complaint, an alleged Hindutva group of about 100 people attacked the peaceful party using sharp weapons and sticks
PUNE – Symptomatic of the deep communal divide, anti-Muslim hate politics and Islamophobia, a peaceful iftar (breaking of the Ramadan fast by Muslims) gathering was attacked by a mob of about 100 people near a lake in Oskarwadi village in Purandar taluka of Maharashtra’s Pune district on Friday evening.
Several Muslims were injured in the attack as the mob, allegedly comprising elements from some Hindutva organisations, went berserk and thrashed the Muslim devotees black and blue, the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) said on Saturday.
A complaint was filed by Feroz Sayyad (36), a resident of Kondhwa, at the Saswad Police Station. According to the first information report (FIR), Sayyad, who runs a cloth stall, had travelled to Oskarwadi with friends on two-wheelers and four-wheelers carrying fruits and food to break their fast.
While they were preparing for the iftar, a large group estimated at over 100 people reportedly arrived at the spot riding multiple two-wheelers. Some of them were allegedly armed with wooden sticks and sharp weapons. The group questioned the gathering, made objectionable remarks and then assaulted the people present, media reports said, quoting the FIR.
Members of the mob allegedly questioned the presence of the Muslims, asking whether they owned the place and why they had come dressed in traditional attire. “The attackers also asked the youths to remove the skull caps from their heads,” the FIR stated
Police have registered a case against about 100 to 150 unidentified persons under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including sections 118(1), 189(2), 190, 191(2), 191(3), 351(2), 351(3), and 352, along with provisions of the Indian Arms Act.
Investigators have detained some locals for questioning as part of the ongoing probe to determine their involvement in the incident. Police said arrests would be made after verification.
Officials also noted that the location where the group had gathered was not a designated religious site. Local villagers reportedly told investigators they had not seen people assemble there for iftar in previous years.
Meanwhile, a local functionary of the SDPI claimed that several people sustained serious injuries in the assault and alleged that the attack was carried out by Hindutva activists, demanding strict action against those responsible.
