Police said 14 people from the Muslim community were attacked by a mob of about 200 people near Bewari before Bobdeo Ghat on Friday evening.
Superintendent of Police (SP), Pune (Rural) Sandeep Singh said that a case has been registered against unknown persons and investigation is underway. “An FIR has been lodged with Saswad police station,” he added.
According to attendees, 14 of them had gathered to break their fast during Ramadan when they were attacked by a crowd of people linked to right-wing groups.
One of the victims said: “The youths had gathered in an open space near a pond in the area to eat breakfast when a large group of men approached them and questioned their presence. The attackers allegedly asked what they were doing at the site and whether the land belonged to them. Before the youths could respond, the mob allegedly surrounded them and assaulted them with sticks and iron bars.”
Abrar Khan, another victim, said: “After coming to the Bobdeo Ghat dam area, we learned that no display of Muslim identity is allowed in the village. We were 14 people, and around 200 men were surrounding us. They took off our hats and assaulted us. The police did not act on our complaint for about five hours. It was a public place that belonged to all citizens.”
A video of the alleged attack was later shared on social media.
Following the incident, a number of people from Kondhwa gathered outside Saswad police station and protested, demanding immediate arrest of those responsible.
Social activist and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) leader Taj Siddiqui alleged that the police were initially reluctant to register the case. “According to our information, the accused from nearby villages and other places came together and carried out a pre-planned attack on the youth who had come to break their fast in the month of Ramadan. The victims sustained serious head injuries and were mercilessly assaulted by the mob. We want to arrest all the accused,” Siddiqui said.
He added that a delegation of community members and representatives of religious groups will meet the SP on the issue.
The police said that an FIR has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act, the Arms Act and the Bombay Police Act.
