Mob Attacks Muslims Gathered For Iftar Near Pune Lake; 11 Injured

A group of around 150 people attacked a group of Muslims from Pune’s Kondhwa area who had gathered near a lake in Askarwadi village to break their fast (iftar) on Friday evening.

Feroz Sayyad, 36, a resident of Kondhwa who runs a cloth stall, lodged a First Information Report (FIR) at the Saswad police station in Pune Rural.

In his complaint, Sayyad said that he and his friends had travelled to Askarwadi village on two-wheelers and four-wheelers carrying fruits and food to break their fast around 6.30 pm. The lake is located off Bopdev Ghat-Saswad Road, nearly 12 km from the Kondhwa area.

The FIR states that more than 100 persons, some allegedly armed with wooden sticks and sharp weapons, arrived at the spot on several two-wheelers. They reportedly questioned the group, made Islamophobic remarks, and assaulted them.

According to the police report, the assailants demanded that the youths remove their skull caps before assaulting them with sticks and sharp weapons, leaving at least 11 people injured.

Police have registered a case against around 100 to 150 unidentified persons under Sections 118(1), 189(2), 190, 191(2), 191(3), 351(2), 351(3), and 352 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with provisions of the Indian Arms Act.

Police Inspector Kumar Kadam of the Saswad police station said that some local persons have been detained and that an investigation is underway to determine their involvement. He added that arrests will be made after verification.

A police officer said that the location where the group had gathered to break their fast was not a designated religious place. According to local villagers, people had not previously gathered there for iftar in earlier years, and the police are trying to identify those involved in the assault.

As per the reports, the attackers told the Muslims men to leave the site and started abusing and assaulting them with the weapons. The assailiants raised slogans while beating them up. Most of them suffered head, back and leg injuries.