Day after the radical Muslims attacked the Ram Navami procession in the Malvai region of Mumbai’s Malad suburb, the state police in a swift action arrested around 21 persons and produced them before the Borivali court yesterday. The court have sent all the accused persons to Police custody till April 6.
OpIndia accessed the FIR copy lodged in the case which reveals that the Ram Navami procession which was moving silently by the Jama Masjid area was attacked by a radical mob who pelted stones at the procession and also attacked the participants.
#WATCH | Mumbai: All 21 people, who were arrested by Malvani Police, in connection with the scuffle between two groups during ‘Ram Navami’ Shobha Yatra in Malad’s Malvani area yesterday, were produced before Borivali court today.
— ANI (@ANI) March 31, 2023
All of them have been sent to Police custody till… pic.twitter.com/goZtyx7nPX
The accused persons booked in the case are Munna Nayatulla Rafiq Sheikh, Mohammad Shoaib Ahmed Mohammad, Faizan Alim, Latif Sayyed, Afzal Sheikh, Sadik Sheikh, Mh Furkan Faiyyaz Ahmed, Ahmed Raza Sameer Sheikh, Mohabiya Ansari, Jameel Merchant, Munna Sheikh, Rohan Sheikh. Apart from these named persons, around 300-400 unidentified people have also been mentioned in the FIR. The identified accused have been arrested for creating violence and injuring civilians as well as police personnel.
All the accused persons have been booked under sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 145 (joining or continuing unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 149, 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous means), 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 332 (causing hurt to public servant) of the Indian Penal Code and sections 37(1)(c) and 135 of the Maharashtra Police Act, 1951.
It was earlier reported that seven individuals were severely injured in the attack that was launched by the radical Muslims on March 30. The Muslims attacked the Ram Navami procession and the Hindu participants as they collectively passed by the Jama Masjid area in Malad. As per the FIR filed by one of the police personnel named Amol Walawalkar, around 6000 Ram bhakts participated in the procession. The Hindu participants were moving silently in the procession but were suddenly attacked as they reached the Abdul Hamid Road near the Jama Masjid area and the Ali Hazrat Masjid road.
Ram Navami procession was attacked twice by 300-400 radicals who raised slogans of ‘Allah-hu-Akhbar’
According to Walawalkar, around 100 to 150 Muslims gathered illegally on the Abdul Hamid Road and raised the slogans of ‘Allah-hu-Akhbar’. “They raised religious slogans like ‘Allah-hu-Akhbar’ and also pointed at the Hindu participants in the procession. Suddenly, one of the identified accused person, Munna Nayatulla Rafiq Sheikh, pelted stone at the procession injuring one participant. The stone pelting then began,” he stated in the FIR.
The procession was further attacked as it moved by the road aligning to the Ali Hazrat Masjid. Walawalkar who is employed at the Malvani Police department, said that the procession was also attacked at the Ali Hazrat Masjid road. According to him around 200 to 250 Muslims gathered at the spot and attacked the Hindu people who participated in the rally. The Muslims pelted stones and also threw their footwear at the procession, causing insult to the Lord Rama and his worshippers.
Notably, the first attack was launched by the Muslims near the Jama Masjid at around 4:30 pm and the procession was attacked for the second time near the Ali Hazrat Masjid road at around 8:45 pm on March 30. A total of 300-400 unidentified people have been booked in the FIR.
Police confirmed to OpIndia that ‘chappals’ were also hurled at the participants
Police personnel Amol Walawalkar talked to OpIndia and confirmed the incident. He said that several police officers were deployed for the procession and that the Police initially tried to pacify the matter but later took charge as the participants in the procession were attacked with stones and chappals. “The Police has swiftly acted in the case and has arrested around 21 accused people. The BJP workers and the participants that day protested against the police and demanded action. According an FIR was lodged and many of the accused have been arrested. Further information can only be given with Sr PI Bhalerao’s permission,” he said.
#Mumbai: #Islamists threw chappal on Prabhu Shri Ram’s murti and also pelted stones on Hindus, during the #Ram_Navami‘s #Shobha_Yatra in Mumbai-Malwani, Malad Area…. pic.twitter.com/dLSM9HpzAX
— Dev Gaur (@devkrgaur) March 31, 2023
One witness reveals Hindus suffered severe injuries, one supposedly incurred a fracture in his nose
Meanwhile, one of the witnesses and Hindu participants identified as Advocate P Raut revealed to OpIndia that the Police also resorted to lathi-charge after the attack happened. “Earlier, the Muslims attacked. They pelted stones and hurled footwears at us. Many of the Hindu participants have suffered serious injuries as a result of the attack. In fact, one person has supposedly incurred a fracture in his nose. The Police first tried to pacify the situation and then resorted to lathi charge. They also beat many of the Hindus amid the ruckus,” she said.
Raut further added that the procession was attacked twice and the Muslim mob raised anti-Hindu slogans. “The louspeakers were already shut. However, the participants continued to raise Hindu slogans throughout the procession. The Muslims objected to the Hindu slogans and asked to shut mouths on the Masjid roads. They later raised slogans of ‘Allah-hu-Akhbar’ and pelted stones at the procession,” she added.
Radicals gathered illegally at two locations to launch attack
Walawalkar also mentioned in the FIR that the Muslims gathered illegally in the area and attacked the Hindus. Several Police personnels were also injured in the attack. Walawalkar said in the complaint that his right leg has been injured. “Case filed against more than 300 unidentified people for jeopardising the atmosphere in the area. The situation was tense for a while but it is under control now,” he confirmed.
Similar violence was reported from Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district on Ram Navami. Violent clashes broke between two groups at the Kiradpura area of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, videos of which emerged showing that the decorations outside Ram Mandir in the area were attacked by a violent mob on Wednesday night.
The mob attacked outer side of the Ram Mandir and also vandalised several vehicles parked in the area including the police vehicles. As reported earlier, the mob executed the attack in presence of the police officers and also set police vans on fire. The Police have filed an FIR in the case and have booked around 400 to 500 unidentified people. Further investigations in the case are underway.
Also in Paldhi region in the Jalgaon district of Maharashtra, a fight broke out between two groups when DJ music was played as a religious procession passed by a mosque in Paldhi. The Police have so far made 45 arrests and registered two FIRs in the case.
(Response from Mumbai Police Sr PI Bhalerao is awaited)
