By Waquar Hasan
NEW DELHI – A First Information Report (FIR) was registered on Wednesday after a mob affiliated with Bajrang Dal allegedly barged into a mosque and the houses of Muslim families, vandalizing properties over allegations of cow slaughter in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar district, Maharashtra. However, the complainant has since decided to withdraw the case in the interest of communal harmony.
The incident took place in Budani Wadgaon village under the Bidkin police station. Ten accused were booked under BNS sections 189(2), 191(2), 190, 329(4), 115(2), 352, and 351(2). Those named in the FIR include Akash Pandharinath Mete, Ganesh Ashok Toksha, Navnath Shyam Kale, Mahesh Ankush Waghe, Rameshwar Chhaburao Khandagale, Pranjal Dipak Chopade, Saurabh Somanath Katkar, and Sachin Bhausaheb Humne.
Speaking to The Hindustan Gazette, complainant Javed Sayyed confirmed that he has decided to withdraw the FIR to avoid escalating communal tensions, following a meeting with members of both Hindu and Muslim communities in his village.
“In the village areas, Muslims are fewer in number and we do need other communities in our daily life. In order to avoid communal tension, we held a meeting in our village and decided to withdraw the FIR,” said Sayyed.
According to him, the issue gained significant traction on social media after videos related to the incident went viral. Reports suggesting that women were assaulted inside the home sparked widespread anger within the Muslim community. However, Sayyed clarified that the information regarding the assault on women is incorrect.
According to the FIR reviewed by The Hindustan Gazette, around 8–10 people allegedly from the Bajrang Dal arrived at Sayyed’s house while discussing the occurrence of cow slaughter in the area.
“They entered our and my brother’s houses, searched for the beef, and ransacked the household items, scattering them everywhere. As a result, my daughter was extremely frightened and was crying. They then left towards the Mulani Badgaon junction,” reads the FIR.
The accused reportedly entered the house after passing through the mosque premises. Maulana Rashid Sheikh, the imam of the mosque, informed Sayyed about this.
“After that, we and other villagers immediately went to the Mulani Badgaon junction. Eventually, we met those eight unknown persons. When we questioned them about forcibly entering our houses and ransacking the belongings, they abused us and threatened us, saying, ‘You have committed cow slaughter and hidden the meat somewhere. We are from the Bajrang Dal. We will not leave you.’ They also pushed and shoved us,” the FIR stated.
This story was originally published in thehindustangazette.com. Read the full story here.