Mumbai: 34-year-old man assaulted for refusing to chant 'Jai Shree Ram'

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Four men have been booked and one has been arrested by the Kurar police for allegedly assaulting a 34-year-old Dalit man after he refused to say "Jai Shree Ram" on Tuesday night.

According to the Kurar police, the victim, identified as Siddharth Angure (34), is employed at Mahindra Company in Kandivali East and resides in Kurar with his family. In his complaint to the police, Angure explained that the incident occurred at 11:30 pm on Tuesday when he was returning home from work. He said that he was speaking with his younger brother over the phone and while walking towards Kurar four men intercepted him near Gokul Nagar, Kandivali East.

When Angure asked them why were they stopping him, one of the accused came closer to him and told him to chant "Jai Shree Ram". One of the men started chanting "Jai Shree Ram" and told Angure to repeat the words with him. Angure said he was tired and just wanted to go home. The accused, identified as Suraj Tiwari, Arun Pandey, Pandit, and Rajesh Rickshawala, became agitated. They verbally abused Angure and assaulted him, uttering derogatory remarks.

They allegedly assaulted him for several minutes until Vishnu Angure, the victim's brother saw them and intervened.

Vishnu then flagged an auto and rushed Angure to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Hospital in Kandivali West where he was admitted for a day. Subsequently, Angure approached the Kurar police and filed a case against the four men.

The police registered a case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including sections 323 (assault), 341 (wrongful restraint), 504 (criminal intimidation), 506 (common intention), and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention). Suraj Pandey has been arrested, as confirmed by an officer from the Kurar police station.

Speaking to mid-day, Angure said, "They forcibly stopped me and demanded that I say 'Jai Shree Ram.' When I refused, they started assaulting me and used derogatory language. Asking if I was Dalit (Bheem wala). Despite my response, they didn't stop and continued to abuse and assault me."

Angure's friends have raised concerns about the absence of atrocity-related sections in the FIR, considering that the accused verbally abused him regarding his caste. They are writing to senior officials, urging them to include atrocity-related sections in the FIR.

An officer from the Kurar police station stated, "We have apprehended one accused and are searching for the others. Further investigation is underway. We are also examining the motive behind their interception of Angure."