'Land Jihad in Sangli': Rafiq-led Muslim mob assaults SC Hindu family over land issue

During the Islamic holy month of Ramadan when Muslims are expected to at their best moral conduct, Jihadi attacks on Hindus are intensifying across the country. In yet another incident that took place in Maharashtra's Sangli district, a Muslim mob led by Rafiq Mullah brutally assaulted an SC Hindu Family and molested Hindu women over the land issue.

 

 

The Muslim mob used iron rods, sticks, and stones and attacked the Jagdish Kudale and his family to build a compound wall. They further threatened Hindu families saying, "We’ll rape your women, kill you all. You people don’t deserve to stay here in this locality. You people should just leave."

 

The incident took place on Mar 17, near the Pakiza Masjid in Sangli, which is a dominant area. The incident came to light after a video when a Muslim mob was seen assaulting Kudale and His family, went viral on social media.

 

 

As per the FIR copy obtained by News Bharati Journalist, Rafiq has been harassing the Kudale family who are staying on their ancestral land, to force them to leave the area so that he could house other people from his community in the locality. Rafiq used to tease the women of the Kudale family and also make them feel often uncomfortable.

 

 

The accused had been living in the Mahar Basti land claiming his ownership. He expanded his territory to construct an illegal dry colony area on the land of the victim's family. Despite several requests and complaints, the accused refused to demolish the dry area resulting in a minor altercation a couple of years ago.

 

 

The incident took place after the Kudale decided to build a compound wall to keep his family members safe from the accused which triggered the Rafiq, who with his 30-40 Muslim associates launched a severe attack on the Hindu family. The Muslim mob used iron rods, sticks, and stones and attacked the Hindu family for building a compound wall.

 

 

 

The accused also threatened the complainant saying that he would be killed and all the women from his family would be raped. “We’ll rape your women, kill you all. You people don’t deserve to stay here in this locality. You people should just leave,” Rafiq was quoted as saying in the FIR. He then hit the iron rod on the head of one of the Kudale family members after which he had to be taken to the hospital immediately.

 

 

 

Following the incident, the family lodged a complaint against the accused persons. As per the FIR copy, police have invoked sections 143, 147, 148, 307, 149, 337, 504 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code and sections 3(1)(r), 3(1)(s), 3(2)(va), 3(2)(5) of the SC/ST Act and section 135 of the Maharashtra Police Act, 1951 against the accused. Police have arrested two of the accused persons out of 9, while the other seven are absconding.

 

 

The local Hindu community of Sangli also rushed to help the victim in this case. According to Nitin Shinde, one of the Hindu activists, the Muslims in the locality threatened the Hindu family to leave the locality. “They abused the women, threatened the men that they would be killed. This is absolutely intolerable,” Shinde said. He urged the Police to take strict action against all the accused persons. He also urged the lawyers of the Hindu community to avoid taking the case of Rafiq Mullah for the betterment of the Hindu community.