31 January,2024 01:05 PM IST | Mumbai | Apoorva Agashe
Munawar Faruqui gets mobbed in Dongri /Yogen Shah
The Dongri Police has registered an FIR against three people for allegedly gathering a mob to celebrate Munawar Faruqui's victory in the 17th season of the reality television show Bigg Boss. The organisers--identified as Shafakat Khan, Sadakat Khan and Kasif Khan--were booked under relevant sections of the Bombay Police Act and section 188 ( Disobedience) of the Indian Penal Code.
On January 29, stand-up comedian Faruqui arrived in Dongri with his Bigg Boss trophy as a mark of respect for his roots. At the time, a huge mob had gathered in the area which could have led to a stampede-like situation. They had taken out a rally which began around 4 pm and lasted for nearly two hours. Residents of the area recounted that prompt action from police prevented mishaps.
A lawyer who lives in the area told mid-day, "We saw a huge mob; none of us anticipated to see such a big crowd in the Dongri area. The police prevented a stampede-like situation from unfolding without the use of force."
Senior PI of Dongri Police Station, Sadanad Mane, said, "The organisers had applied to take out a rally, however, we denied permission for the gathering." He added that the organisers also used at least two drones to film the scene which they were not permitted for and were booked for that as well.
According to the police, the organisers had informed them that 40-50 persons would be gathering and that the stand-up comedian would leave the place shortly. However, at the time of his arrival, a mob of nearly 6000-7000 had gathered at Dongri's Char Nal road to celebrate Faruqui's win. Officials said as soon as they learnt about such a huge gathering, nearly 50 personnel were rushed to the spot to manage the crowd.
"Constant announcements were made for the mob to disperse. We coordinated with the organisers and requested the mob to move swiftly and let Faruqui go from the spot," Inspector Mane said.
A police officer said, "The organizers had said that Faruqui wanted to bring the trophy to Dongri to acknowledge his roots."
The officials said that due to a huge mob gathering, the traffic in Dongri came to a standstill for two hours. An official, on condition of anonymity, said, "Narrow roads, huge mob, parking on both the sides of the roads made it difficult for us to manage the traffic; hence it was at a standstill."
The cops said that the mob had attempted to climb atop Munawar Faruqui's car. Many of them had already scaled to the roofs of the buildings and hotels in the area to get a glimpse of the comedian.
