{"id":311792,"date":"2026-03-21T13:23:38","date_gmt":"2026-03-21T07:53:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/?p=311792"},"modified":"2026-05-07T10:42:16","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T05:12:16","slug":"they-said-muslims-cant-sit-here-tore-our-clothes-beat-us-survivor-recalls-pune-iftar-attack-no-arrests-yet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/they-said-muslims-cant-sit-here-tore-our-clothes-beat-us-survivor-recalls-pune-iftar-attack-no-arrests-yet\/","title":{"rendered":"They said Muslims can\u2019t sit here, tore our clothes, beat us: Survivor recalls Pune Iftar attack; no arrests yet"},"content":{"rendered":"

Trigger Warning: Graphic Images of Injury<\/strong><\/p>\n

A week after an FIR was registered at Saswad police station in Pune district of Maharashtra in connection with the alleged mob assault on 14 Muslim men during an Iftar gathering by a large mob, no arrests have been made.<\/p>\n

Saswad SHO Kumar Kadam told Alt News on March 19, \u201cInvestigation is underway. We have a few suspects, but they have reportedly fled the area. We are facing hurdles because villagers are not cooperating.\u201d<\/p>\n

The incident occurred on the evening of March 13, 2026, at Bopdev Ghat, a popular tourist spot in Pune\u2019s Bhiwari area. According to the complaint, the group had gathered by the lakeside to break their Ramzan fast when they were allegedly attacked by a large mob. A case was registered against an estimated 150 unidentified individuals for assaulting the men with sticks, rods, whips and other sharp weapons.<\/p>\n

Police filed a case under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Section 118(1) (voluntarily causing hurt using dangerous weapons or means), Section 189(2) (criminal intimidation involving serious threats), Section 190 (intentional insult to provoke breach of peace), Sections 191(2) and 191(3) (spreading false or harmful information), Sections 351(2) and 351(3) (assault or use of criminal force), and Section 352 (punishment for assault or criminal force otherwise than on grave provocation). Additional charges have also been invoked under Sections 4 and 25 of the Arms Act, 1959, and Section 135 of the Maharashtra Police Act, 1951.<\/p>\n

‘Yeh Tumhare Baap Ka Jagah Hai? Mullah Nehi Baith Sakta Yahan’<\/h4>\n

In a conversation with Alt News, Feroz Javed Sayyed, one of the survivors of the assault, recounted the events of the fateful day.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had reached the ghat before it was time to break the fast. We were cutting fruits, arranging food, taking pictures and videos \u2014 simply preparing for Iftar and enjoying ourselves,\u201d Sayyed said.<\/p>\n

The gathering was abruptly disrupted when a mob of around 150\u2013200 people descended on them, allegedly hurling communal slurs and questioning their presence. \u201cThey asked if the place belonged to our father and said Muslims could not sit there,\u201d he said, recalling the abuse (\u201cYeh tumhare baap ka jagah hai? Mullah nehi baith sakta yaha\u201d).<\/p>\n

According to him, the verbal abuse quickly escalated into violence. \u201cThe attackers were armed with sticks, rods, chains, whips and sharp weapons. They tore our clothes, ripped off our skullcaps, and warned us never to return here wearing Pathani kurtas,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The group comprised friends and family members \u2014 Fardeen Husain, Sakib Banedar, Afnan Shaikh, Arbaz Ballari, Parvez Mulla, Samit Nazir, Zubair Bagwan, Aftab Khan, Ali Abbas, Adil Shaikh, Amin Shaikh, Altamash Sayyed, Salman Khan, and Feroz himself, 36, the oldest in the group in which everyone was aged between 25 and 30. Several were students, while some had just joined jobs.<\/p>\n

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The group comprised friends and family members, most of whom were aged between 25 and 30 | Photo shared with Alt News by Feroz Javed Sayyed<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ten of the fourteen sustained injuries. Sayyed said that Amin suffered severe head injuries requiring 14 stitches, while Sakib sustained deep wounds to his back.<\/p>\n

Sayyed said, \u201cI dialled 112 and called the police. They arrived within 30 minutes, around 7 pm, but by then the mob had already dispersed. We took our friends to a nearby nursing home, and a few of us then went to the police station to register a complaint.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sayyed further alleged that his group was not the only one targeted that evening. \u201cOthers were beaten as well, but they are too afraid to file a complaint,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He also claimed that the group had identified a few of the alleged perpetrators and shared their names and photographs with the police, but although some individuals were briefly detained, they were later released.<\/p>\n

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The attackers were armed with sticks, rods, chains, whips and sharp weapons, Sayyed said | Photo: Feroz Javed Sayyed<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

‘No arrests Yet, Don’t Want to Make Mistakes in identifying Accused’\u00a0<\/b><\/h4>\n

When Alt News spoke to Saswad SHO Kumar Kadam, he confirmed that no arrests had been made till March 19. \u201cThere haven\u2019t been any arrests yet. The police are still investigating. We don\u2019t want to make any mistakes in identifying the perpetrators,\u201d he said. He added that while a few suspects had been identified, progress was slowed by a lack of local cooperation. \u201cWe have some suspected individuals, but the villagers are not cooperating. It appears that some of them may have fled to their native villages.\u201d<\/p>\n

Addressing the victims\u2019 allegations that some individuals were detained and later released, Kadam said the police had carried out a detailed verification. \u201cWe detained the 10 individuals identified by the victims and conducted an extensive investigation over nearly 15 hours. This included examining multiple CCTV footages and verifying alibis. The evidence showed they were not involved in the assault, and they were subsequently released,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

Kadam rejected suggestions of bias or inaction. \u201cThe Maharashtra Police does not discriminate. We are not trying to shield anyone. A crime is a crime, and a perpetrator is a perpetrator,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Detailing the police response, Kadam noted that the information was received through the emergency call centre. \u201cBopdev Ghat is located just 1\u20132 kilometres from the police station. We reached the spot in about 20 minutes. When we arrived, around 7 pm, we found several individuals seriously injured. We took a few of them along with us to the station to initiate the complaint process,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Expressing confidence in the probe, Kadam added, \u201cWe are continuing our investigation, and the perpetrators will be apprehended soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

CCTV Camera Covered with Jacket<\/b><\/h4>\n

Sayyed alleged that similar incidents had taken place at the same location in the days leading up to the attack. \u201cAfter our case became known, some people reached out to us, saying they too had been assaulted during Iftar gatherings here a few days earlier. However, they chose not to approach the police,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Emphasizing that such gatherings were not unusual, Sayyed noted that his companions had been organizing Iftar meals at Bopdev Ghat for the past two to three years without incident. \u201cThough it was my first time joining them at Bopdev Ghat, my brother and other friends have been organising Iftar gatherings at this spot for the past two to three years. Nothing like this has ever happened before,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Sayyed also alleged that the assailants had obscured the only CCTV camera in the area by covering it with a jacket before launching the attack on March 13. The video embedded below was recorded the following day when police and some of the survivors went to the place of occurrence on the next day.<\/p>\n

Watch it here:<\/p>\n