Attack on a Hindu Youth by religious fanatics in Jalgaon

• Fury over a Muslim woman seen with a Hindu man

• Both had come together for professional work

• The Hindu man was severely injured; four fanatics have been arrested

• The fanatics also assaulted the Muslim woman

The injured Mukesh Chavan, who was admitted to the hospital after being beaten up by religious fanatics

Jalgaon, 15^thSeptember : For a programme organised at a local restaurant, Ayesha Ali Khan (22), a young woman from Nashik, came to Jalgaon to finalise catering services as a part of the event management. The event organizer, a Hindu youth named Mohit Rajesh Chavan (27), was going with her in connection with the work which, however, provoked religious fanatics to attack Chavan with sharp weapons. This incident occurred on 14^thSeptember 2024. Chavan has been seriously injured and admitted to a hospital.

Upon learning of the incident, local devout Hindus gathered in protest, leading to a minor stone-pelting. The Police have registered a case against five religious fanatics, and four have been arrested. The arrested fanatics are Farooq Asif Khatik, Akram Khatik, Bhurya, and Sahebaba alias Padya.

Mohit Chavan needed someone for catering arrangements for a ceremony, so he contacted Ayesha Khan, who agreed to organise it. Ayesha came to Jalgaon for the booking. Mohit had informed her parents and received their permission before calling her to Nashik. Chavan went to the railway station to pick her up, and they went on a motorcycle to a restaurant in MIDC for the booking when the attack happened. Ayesha was wearing a hijab at the time.

1. Two religious fanatics followed them on a motorcycle. They stopped Ayesha and took her aside on some pretext and led Chavan to Shera Chowk, where a crowd of 300 to 400 Muslims had gathered. About 10 to 12 fanatics confronted Chavan, asking him about his relationship with the girl, where he was taking her and why the girl was going with him. Asking these questions, they attacked him with iron rods, sharp weapons like choppers, and even threw plastic chairs at him.

2. Five to six devout Hindu passing by the road, noticed the incident and rushed to the scene to rescue Chavan from the fanatics.

3. Chavan tried to explain that they had no romantic relationship and were there in connection with work but the fanatics were in no mood to listen.

4. Later, a large number of devout Hindu activists gathered there; followed by the Superintendent of Police.

The religious fanatics had falsely informed the girl’s parents that she was found with Chavan in a restaurant doing something inappropriate. However, Ayesha clarified to her parents that the fanatics had verbally abused and assaulted them, revealing the plot to falsely implicate Chavan.

The religious fanatics had taken Ayesha elsewhere, but even after the brutal attack on Chavan, he insisted that he would go to hospital only after her safe return since her parents had sent her there due to their trusting him. The Police then rescued Ayesha from the fanatics and took her to the Police station under security.

Editorial Perspective

There are the religious fanatics, who attack Hindus just on being seen together with a Muslim woman, even if they come together for professional purposes and here are the Hindus, who don’t even bother to file a complaint against Muslim youth, despite their trapping Hindu women in ‘Love Jihad’.