‘Quarry over a seat, 2 tiffins full of buff’ which triggered the attack on a Muslim man on the Dhule-CSMT train

Mumbai: “They hit me in the face, some hit me in the stomach. They even threatened to kill me and throw me off the train,” 72-year-old Ashraf Ali Sayyad Hussain told police.

On August 28, Hussain, a resident of Chalisgaon near Jalgaon in north Maharashtra, was travelling to his daughter's house in Kalyan, a suburb of Mumbai, by Dhule CSMT Express. However, his train journey turned into a horror when he was attacked by a mob, allegedly for transporting beef. The attack left him with physical injuries and trauma.

The police filed an FIR three days after the incident on August 31 under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS): 189(2) (unlawful assembly), 191(2) (rioting), 126(2) (wrongful confinement), 190 (participation in unlawful assembly), 115(2) (intentionally causing hurt), 352 (intentionally insulting with intent to provoke breach of peace), 324(4) (mischief), 351(3) (criminal intimidation). ThePrint has seen the FIR.

As a result, three people were arrested by police on Saturday. However, all were released on bail on Sunday.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Hussain's younger brother Sayyad described the incident as a “hate crime.”

“We came to know about it a day or two later when the video went viral. We were very worried after hearing the news and asked if he was OK. In my opinion, he was attacked because of his religion. Now we demand that the perpetrators be arrested and given the strictest punishment. The police have assured us of action,” he said.

ThePrint reached Hussain and his son through calls and messages. This report will be updated when a response is received.

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What happened on August 28

According to the FIR, Hussain boarded the Dhule CSMT Express, third general compartment, at around 8 am on August 28. Initially, he was standing, but after the train passed Nashik station, a seat became vacant and Hussain immediately took it.

A young man, around 24 or 25 years old, standing in the compartment asked Hussain to vacate his seat, to which he replied that there was no seat left. “Since there is no seat left, will you sit on my lap?” said Hussain. This remark sparked anger among a group of young men sitting in the compartment.

When the train reached Kalyan station at around 1 pm, Hussain started packing his things and was preparing to get down. That's when the group of young men grabbed him and started harassing him, as described in the FIR.

“They became suspicious and opened a plastic bag that I was carrying. I had buffalo meat in two lunch boxes from Chalisgaon. The boys asked me what kind of meat it was. I told them it was buffalo meat. They forced me to stay there and then started abusing me and recording a video on their mobile phones,” Hussain said in the FIR.

Amidst all the chaos, the train started moving again and Hussain was unable to get off at Kalyan station.

“One of the boys, whose face was covered with a handkerchief, started hitting me near the eye. Finally, the boy sitting in front of me started hitting me in the face and eyes and kicking me in the stomach. Then three or four of their companions also started hitting me in the face and stomach. Finally, they also tore my clothes,” he added.

The mob, he said, also took away Rs 2,800 that he had in his front pocket.

“They also threatened to throw me out of the moving train and kill me,” he told police.

About half an hour later, at 1.30 pm, the train reached Thane station and stopped there. Hussain managed to get down here, but some of the men also failed to make it.

Hussain was frightened and went to the police station, but could not muster the courage to file a complaint. The men eventually left.

After the incident, Hussain started his journey from Thane to Kalyan. Angry and humiliated, Hussain threw the meat boxes, which he considered the reason for his humiliation, into the Kalyan stream.

Although Hussain arrived at his daughter's house and received immediate care, he has not yet fully recovered.

After the video went viral on social media, Hussain finally approached the police to file a complaint.

The Government Railway Police (GRP) is investigating the case. On Saturday, the police said they had visited Hussain's daughter at her home to file a complaint. They are also currently checking video footage to ascertain whether the viral video is authentic.

“We have arrested three persons so far and the investigation is on. I will appeal to people not to spread rumours that disturb the peace,” DCP Manoj Patil of the Thane railway police told reporters on Sunday.

On Saturday, rumours spread on social media that Hussain had died. Hussain himself was quick to respond, posting a video confirming that he was still alive. In the video, which was accessed by ThePrint, he stated: “I am still alive. Thank you to everyone who wished me well. However, I request you not to take extreme measures on my behalf. I am alive, so please keep the peace.”

(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)

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