On 16th February a minor Hindu girl was assaulted by a Muslim man Sameer Khan and his wife, Sonali Das over chants of Jai Shri Ram. The minor girl who is associated with the Hindu organisation Durga Vahini was assaulted by Khan and his wife after they got irked by her students singing Bhajans and chanting Jai Shri Ram during the free tuition class that the minor Hindu girl gives to children of the area.
After the assault, when Bajrang Dal activists reached the Vakola police station to assist the minor in lodging an FIR, they were beaten up by police officials. The activists were assaulted a second time after they protested outside the police station. This resulted in the suspension of the police officials involved in the assault.
OpIndia spoke to the Bajrang Dal activists, the victim’s family, and the in-charge of the Vakola Police Station to understand the incident.
Hindu girl assaulted over ‘Jai Shri Ram’ chants
It all began when a Hindu minor girl, who is associated with the sister organisation of Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), Durga Vahini, went to call children in her area for free tuition classes on 16th January. Her father is also a Vishva Hindu Parishad activist. Speaking to OpIndia, her father said that every week, the victim organises sessions for Hindu children from poor families in the area to teach them about Dharma and notable historic Hindu personalities. The sessions often include bhajans and chants of ‘Jai Shri Ram’.
The chants and bhajans allegedly did not go well with the family that lives nearby. Her father told OpIndia that an argument erupted between his daughter, Sameer Khan and his wife Sonali Das. He alleged that Sonali often interfered in his daughter’s classes and questioned why she taught the children to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’. On the day of the incident, they all got into an argument that led to the assault.
Following the argument, the girl returned home and informed her family about the incident. Her father, along with her elder sister, and mother went and confronted the family. This led to another altercation, which reportedly turned violent, with the family allegedly assaulting the minor girl.
FIR filed by Sonali Das
After the incident, Sonali Das and her family approached Vakola Police Station first. They filed an FIR against the minor Hindu girl and her family, alleging that they were attacked during the dispute. The Hindu family also tried to file a complaint. However, they alleged that the police refused to register it immediately.
An FIR was registered on the complaint of Sonali Das’s mother stating that the altercation led to injuries to her family members. The FIR has been registered under Sections 118(1), 115(2), 352, and 3(5) of BNS.
Bajrang Dal activists assaulted inside the police station
After the Hindu family faced delays in filing their complaint, the girl contacted Bajrang Dal activist Jaikishan Prajapati, who rushed to the police station along with other activists. Speaking to OpIndia, Jaikishan alleged that the police delayed filing the complaint as their shift was about to change. He added that the police officials would have had to stay for longer if they had filed the complaint. When Bajrang Dal activists pressed for immediate action, the police allegedly asked them to leave while questioning who they were to tell the police how to work.
The activists went outside the building to discuss the next course of action. A police official allegedly became agitated and slapped one of them. When they questioned the assault, sub-inspectors Shivaji Shinde, Achyut Naikare, and Dnyaneshwar Shinde allegedly dragged them inside and brutally assaulted them for over 30 minutes.
Protests and subsequent transfer of police officials
When they were inside the police station, senior VHP leaders were informed about the incident who quickly contacted senior police officials. The intervention led to the assault being stopped and an inquiry being conducted. Meanwhile, Bajrang Dal and VHP demanded strict action against the accused police officials. Bajrang Dal’s co-convenor Gautam Rawaria has warned that if no action is taken within two days, the entire Hindu community will stage a silent march to the Vakola police station.
Speaking to OpIndia, Jaikishan stated that the senior officials reviewed CCTV footage and found the police personnel guilty of using excessive force. As a result, the concerned officers were immediately transferred from Vakola Police Station.
For now, Bajrang Dal has not filed any official complaint against the police officials involved in the assault.
