On 30th March, Arshan Sheikh and four other Islamists were booked by Kurar Police for allegedly assaulting seven Hindu men for wearing saffron attire and chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ during a Gudi Padwa procession in Malad East. The incident took place near Noorani Mosque, located on Ranisati Marg in Pathanwadi, at around 5:30 PM. Reportedly, a group of Hindu men were travelling with saffron flags to attend a celebratory programme when the Islamists attacked them.
Rajkumar Choube, who runs a mobile repair business in Sakinaka, filed a complaint. According to the FIR filed based on his complaint, the assailants were dressed in white kurtas and net caps. They targeted Hindu men for wearing saffron attire. Choubey stated that he heard someone shout, “Beat all of them who are wearing saffron clothes,” moments before the attack happened.
When Chaube tried to intervene, the attackers verbally abused and beat him while saying, “Why did you people come into this crowd?” His friend, Sujit Sharma, immediately went to a police van parked nearby and informed them about the incident. Police rushed to the spot and managed to separate the attackers from Chaube and his friends. After that, the injured Hindu youth were rushed to hospital in a police van for treatment. Later, Chaube reviewed the video footage of the incident and identified Arshan as one of the attackers.
The FIR in the matter has been registered under Sections 118(1), 115(2), 352, 189, and 190 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Police have detained Arshan Sheikh, who was seen in a viral video beating one of the victims with a wooden stick. The remaining accused are being identified by the police using CCTV footage.
Bajrang Dal, BJP and Shiv Sena demand strict action
The incident sparked sharp political reactions. Konkan Prant co-organiser of Bajrang Dal, Gautam Ravriya, said, “We are demanding strict action against the accused. The police should arrest them immediately. We have informed the police that the festivals of Ram Navami and Ram Janmotsav are approaching and should be celebrated without fear.”
Speaking to Opindia, Ravriya said, “When the Gudi Padwa procession was passing through in the morning, some Hindu boys were walking with saffron flags. A few Muslim boys from Pathanwadi saw them and objected. Chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ while holding a saffron flag is not a crime anywhere in India—both the Supreme Court and High Court have stated this in clear judgments. This incident wasn’t spontaneous; it was part of a well-planned conspiracy. It did not just happen here – it happened in Tiwari Chawl, Chembur, Kurla, and other places across Mumbai. This is a systematic pattern of jihad – targeting Hindu festivals, mob lynching, and mentally breaking Hindus so they can’t celebrate their festivals freely. We demand strict action from the administration. All those seen in the video must be arrested immediately, and their names should be added to the FIR.”
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam accused the local MLA of shielding the attackers and said, “Houses of those ‘jihadis’ who tried to engineer riots on Sunday and attacked Hindu boys should be bulldozed.” BJP MLC Pravin Darekar called the violence “extremely serious” and urged police to act swiftly.
Hindu youth allegedly targeted for chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’
According to eyewitnesses, the situation escalated when a few Hindu youths chanted “Jai Shri Ram”. Islamists claimed that the chants were raised during Muslim prayer time. One of the eyewitnesses quoted by The Tribune blamed Hindus for provoking Muslims, “Thousands were gathered for ‘Asr’ prayers. Suddenly, six people with saffron flags arrived and stood in front of the mosque, raising slogans.”
Notably, police have downplayed the religious angle in the matter and termed the scuffle a “misunderstanding”. Deputy Commissioner of Police Smita Patil said investigations are ongoing and urged the public not to believe rumours.
Political leadership urges immediate police action
Following the attack, the ruling party leaders have instructed the police to remain vigilant and act without any delay in such cases.
