A group of Muslim men who had gathered near a lake in Oskarwadi village in Purandar taluka of Pune district to break their Ramadan fast were allegedly attacked by a mob of over 100 people on Friday evening. Several of those present sustained injuries in the assault. A complaint has been filed at Saswad Police Station, and a case registered against 100 to 150 unidentified persons.
According to the FIR lodged by Feroz Sayyad, a 36-year-old cloth stall owner from Kondhwa in Pune city, he had travelled to Oskarwadi with a group of friends on two-wheelers and four-wheelers at around 6.30 in the evening, carrying fruits and food to break their fast.
While the group was preparing for iftar, a large mob of over a hundred people arrived at the spot on multiple two-wheelers. Some members of the mob were allegedly armed with wooden sticks and sharp weapons. According to the FIR, the mob questioned the group’s presence at the location, passed objectionable remarks and then physically assaulted those present.
Mob Questioned Their Identity, Asked Them to Remove Skull Caps
The FIR records particularly disturbing details about the nature of the attack. Members of the mob allegedly asked the Muslim youth why they had come to the spot dressed in traditional attire and whether they owned the place. “The attackers also asked the youths to remove the skull caps from their heads,” the FIR stated, indicating that the assault was specifically targeted at the religious identity of those present.
Police Register Case, Detain Some Locals
A case has been registered under multiple 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 relevant provisions of the Indian Arms Act. Police Inspector Kumar Kadam of Saswad police station said some local persons had been detained for questioning and that arrests would follow after their involvement was verified.
Police also noted that the location near the lake was not a designated religious site and that local villagers had told investigators they had not seen people gathering there for iftar in previous years.
SDPI Alleges Hindutva Groups Behind Attack, Demands Action
The Social Democratic Party of India said five to six people sustained serious injuries in the incident. SDPI functionary Azar Tamboli alleged that the attack was carried out by Hindutva groups and demanded stern action against those responsible. “The attack was carried out by Hindutva activists. We demand stern action against the assailants,” he said.
