Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai (SR)

Thane, Jun 28: Faizal Usman Khan, a 25-year-old cab driver, was allegedly threatened and abused by a group of Hindu extremists and was also forced to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’. The incident happened in the Diva area of Thane on Sunday morning.

Mumbra police have arrested three Diva residents, Mangesh Munde, 30, Anil Surywanshi, 22 and Jaydeep Munde, 26, who were involved in the act. As per Khan’s statement to the police, he stopped his vehicle on Agasan Road in Diva to check some glitch, three men riding a scooter spotted him and began abusing him. Though Khan behaved politely, the trio dragged him out of his car and allegedly assaulted him, said the police.

Khan told Mirror reporters that he was forced to chant Jai Shri Ram. “I told them Allah ke vaste, mujhe maat maaro, mujhe chhod do (For Allah’s sake, do not hit me, let me go). They kept hitting me till I lost my consciousness. Later I found myself in the car, with my mobile phone stolen,” said Khan as per Mumbai Mirror.

The Mumbra police said they booked a case against the trio on Tuesday under sections 295 (a) (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs), 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation), 392 (Punishment for robbery), 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.