WEB DESK
Four men arrested for humiliating and assaulting an elderly Muslim man Haji Ashraf Maniyar on a moving train were granted bail by the court on the first day of the case. The decision came shortly after the Thane government railway police (GRP) filed an FIR regarding the Incident.
According to the reports, the victim had requested police to include more serious charges, such as an attempt to murder, in the FIR. However, the police did not incorporate these sections. Consequently, the court has set the bail amount at Rs 15,000 for each accused, a decision that has sparked debate over the handling of the case and the severity of the charges.
It is also alleged that over a dozen people were involved in the incident as seen in the viral video, but most are yet to be arrested.
The move has sparked outrage, with Jitendra Awhad, a local MLA of the Nationalist Congress Party raising concerns and questioning the GRP’s decision not to impose charges related to hate crimes, mob attacks, robbery, and attempted murder.
All India Majlis e Itehad ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) President Asaduddin Owaisi also condemned the attack. Owaisi highlighted growing concerns about violence and discrimination against minority communities in the region.
Haji Ashraf Munyar, resident of Jalgaon district, was allegedly assaulted by his co-passengers on an express train near Igatpuri in Maharashtra’s Nashik district. According to the GRP, the attack occurred when Munyar was travelling to his daughter’s house in Kalyan, with the assailants suspecting him of carrying beef.
According to the media reports, one of the accused who was seen slapping and abusing the elderly man in the video has been identified as Aashu Avhad, son of SRPF (Special Reserved Police Force). They were all travelling to appear in a police exam in Mumbai.