Mohd Sharafat Khan, Imam of the Masjid Islamiya in the Trombay area of Mumbai, Maharashtra alleges that he was abused, chased and almost lynched by an enraged Hindu mob during the ‘Garba’ festivities on October 22.
Khan faced the attack despite having two constables to escort him pass through the area.
Garba is a devotional dance performed to honour Goddess Durga during Navaratri. The dance is performed in masses by the followers of the Hindu religion.
“My wife and daughter were waiting for me to pick them up from the bus stop as they were returning from the hospital after a medical diagnosis. I waited till 11:30 for Garba to get over as I thought my presence in Kurta pyjama and skullcap might disturb them. But since it was getting late I had to leave and pass through that area because there was no other way to reach the bus stop,” Khan told Maktoob.
According to Khan, the mob blocked his way and started arguing with him.
“I called the police station and they sent two constables to escort me to pass through the area but even they failed in front of the mob and the police couldn’t control them.”
“In front of the police, they started hurling Islamophobic slurs and raised slogans such as Kato Mullo ko, Mulley Katey jayenge and Jai Shree Ram and manhandled me, I was almost killed by them,” he added.
He said the mob included members of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu extremist organization. He can identify some of them and know their names as they have always been his neighbours.
Khan said that when even the constables gave up and were unable to control the people attacking him, he was then left on his own.
He started running to find a safe place for himself but was chased by the mob even in the police presence in the area until he sheltered himself in the Vivekanand School.
Later his wife and daughter were dropped at home in a police van by the cops.
After the mob disappeared, Khan along with his family approached the nearby Trombay Police Station to file a complaint. He gave a written complaint to the officers but no First Information Report is registered or any action has been taken yet.
The complaint given by Khan is directed to the Deputy Commissioner of Mumbai, The Assistant Commissioner of Police, Trombay Division and the Senior Inspector of Police, Trombay PS.
The copy of the complaint, seen by Maktoob, is filed against Avinash Gharat, Laxmi Gharat, Sai, Gharat, Babu Gharat, Rekha Gharat, Bhavna and Nitin Mahtre and 20 others who according to Khan had “attempted mob lynching” against him.
Khan accused the local politicians of forcing him to settle down the issue and not file any complaint as it could escalate into a riot.
He said, “The politicians (who he didn’t name) told me that these RSS people are very powerful and only I am going to face the repercussions and this can also spiral into a riot, as they can do anything and get away with it.”
The two police constables of Trombay Police Station are the eye witness of the incident. Attempts made by Maktoob to reach them went unfulfilled. The copy will be updated as soon as we get the response from Trombay Police Station.
The Imam, his ancestors and his relatives have been living in the area for the last 50 years and he runs and heads the Madrasa, Darul Uloom Faizan e Raza. It was registered and recognized by the Maharashtra Government for the last 14 years and never faced any hostile situation until a few years ago.
There have been continuous attempts by the same people mentioned in the complaint to shut down the Madrasa in which at least 60 students are enrolled out of which 16 are hostelers.
“These people are neighbours and there have been festivals too, always, suddenly they’ve become too hostile. They’ve tried to make hurdles in the functioning of the mosque and the Madrasa. They keep filing complaints against Madrasa but nothing happened since we are working and running it according to the legal framework,” the Imam said to Maktoob.
“This time they have gone too far, they tried to lynch me. They almost killed me. I will get them punished as per the law and protocol”, he added.
Khan demands a case against them under sections 153A, 153B, 295A, 298A, 505(1) and 505(2).
“People like them are the fringe elements and all they want is to create a rift between people and create riots between communities in the name of religion by inciting and instigating people. A proper and fine investigation should be done and they should be punished as per the law”, Khan added.
