Lagatar24 Desk
Mumbai: An elderly man was brutally assaulted and verbally abused by fellow passengers on a moving train in Maharashtra after they suspected him of carrying beef. The distressing incident occurred on the Dhule Express, where dozens of onlookers did nothing to intervene, with some even appearing amused by the situation.
The incident, captured on a video now circulating widely on social media, shows nearly a dozen men aggressively questioning Ashraf Munyar about the contents of two large plastic boxes he was carrying. The men demanded to know, “What are you carrying? Where are you going? Where are you from? Don’t you get goats there? How many people are going to eat it?”
Munyar, a resident of Jalgaon district, was traveling to his daughter’s house in Malegaon. Visibly shaken by the confrontation, he weakly explained that the meat was intended for his daughter’s family. Despite his explanation, the men continued to interrogate him, with one accusing him of transporting beef during the holy month of Shravan, a significant period for Hindus.
At one point, Munyar clarified that the boxes contained buffalo meat, not beef. However, the men remained unconvinced, with one stating, “We will know about it once we get it tested.” The Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act 1976 prohibits the slaughter of cows, bulls, and bullocks but does not ban buffaloes, which are not protected under this law.
The Railway Commissioner confirmed the incident and stated that a First Information Report (FIR) has been registered. The railway police are actively searching for the individuals involved in the assault, with two suspects identified as residents of Dhule.
The victim was initially reluctant to lodge a formal complaint, but the Government Railway Police (GRP) reached out to him after the video went viral. A police team has been dispatched to Dhule to apprehend the suspects.
The incident has sparked outrage, with Jitendra Awhad, a leader from Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) camp, condemning the attack and criticizing the deteriorating law and order situation in Maharashtra. “Some youngsters beat him up because they thought he was carrying beef. This is not Maharashtra. This is not our culture. Where will this stop?” Awhad questioned.
He further expressed concern over the growing intolerance, stating, “80 percent of people in Maharashtra are non-vegetarians. We respect all religions. We respect Jains too, but what’s this hate of beating people on the basis of suspicion? They would have run away by now too. How are they not ashamed to beat someone who is as old as your father?”
The police investigation continues as the state grapples with the implications of such incidents on communal harmony and public safety.
