Representational.
Pune: A group of unidentified persons allegedly attacked people who had gathered to break their fast during Ramadan near a lake in Oskarwadi village in Purandar taluka of Pune district on Friday evening. SDPI alleged that the attackers were Hindutva activists, The Indian Express reported, citing police officials.
The complaint was filed by Feroz Sayyad (36), a resident of Kondhwa, at the Saswad Police Station. According to the first information report (FIR), Sayyad, who runs a cloth stall, had travelled to Oskarwadi with friends on two-wheelers and four-wheelers carrying fruits and food to break their fast around 6.30 pm.
While they were preparing for the iftar, a large group estimated at over 100 people reportedly arrived at the spot on multiple two-wheelers. Some of them were allegedly armed with wooden sticks and sharp weapons. The group questioned the gathering, made objectionable remarks and then assaulted the people present, according to the FIR.
Police have registered a case against about 100 to 150 unidentified persons under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including sections 118(1), 189(2), 190, 191(2), 191(3), 351(2), 351(3) and 352, along with provisions of the Indian Arms Act.
Investigators have detained some local residents for questioning as part of the ongoing probe to determine their involvement in the incident. Police said arrests would be made after verification.
Officials also noted that the location where the group had gathered was not a designated religious site. Local villagers reportedly told investigators they had not seen people assemble there for iftar in previous years.
Meanwhile, a local functionary of the Social Democratic Party of India claimed that five to six persons sustained serious injuries in the assault and alleged that the attack was carried out by Hindutva activists, demanding strict action against those responsible.