Maharashtra: Bail Cancelled For 3 Accused Of Attacking Muslim Man On Train (image-screengrab/zoo_bear)
The bail of three men, arrested for allegedly assaulting a 72-year-old Muslim man after accusing him of carrying beef on a train headed to Mumbai, has been cancelled by a railway court in Kalyan city near Mumbai. On Monday, the Thane Government Railway Police (GRP) charged the accused with dacoity and hurting religious feelings.
The accused—Akash Awhad (30), Jayesh Mohite (21), and Nitesh Ahire (30)—will be arrested again, said senior GRP officer.
Read Also: Goons Abuse, Slap Elderly Muslim Man On Train In Maharashtra
The three men, are alleged to be among a group of miscreants who abused and assaulted the elderly person. Two more individuals from Dhule have been identified in the case and are in the process of being arrested by the Mumbai railway police.
The three were arrested after an elderly Muslim man, Haji Ashraf Munyar, travelling to Kalyan on the Dhule-CSMT Express train to meet his daughter, was physically assaulted and abused by miscreants who accused him of carrying beef. While the attack took place on August 28, the video went viral on August 31, and social media users urged the police to take strict action against the perpetrators.
The men were arrested on September 1 and released on bail the same day as they were booked under bailable sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Two more sections—hurting religious sentiments and dacoity—of the BNS have been added by the GPR. The second is a non-bailable offence.
The number of hate crimes against Muslim individuals have been on the rise since the past few years. According to an India Hate Lab report, the country documented 668 hate speech incidents targeting Muslims in 2023. Notably, around 75 percent of the events (498) took place in BJP-ruled States and Union Territories (administered by the BJP-led Central government).
