Faisal Usman Khan, a cab driver in Mumbai was allegedly beaten up, abused and forced to chant “Jai Shri Ram” in Diva area of Thane on Monday, June 24.

All three accused residents of Agasan village in Diva and were arrested by the police on Tuesday, June 25 and were remanded in police custody.

The news comes days after a young man Tabrez Ansari was allegedly forced to chant “Jai Shri Ram” and “Jai Hanuman” and beaten to death in Jharkhand’s Saraikela Kharsawan district.

Faisal’s Official Statement

Faisal, who has been working as a driver for a cab aggregator company since December 2018, reported that the incident happened on Monday morning at 3 AM when Khan was on the way back to Mumbai after picking up passengers from Manav Kalyan Hospital in Diva and his car broke down.

“I switched on the parking lights and was trying to restart the car when three men on a scooter came from behind and started banging the windows,” Khan recounted. “They were reeking of alcohol and wanted to know why I had stopped my vehicle in the middle of the road,” he added.

The accused dragged Khan and allegedly snatched the keys of the car, the accused also dragged one of the passengers and started abusing them “… the men also started abusing me for my religion and said that if I chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ loudly, they will let me go,” Khan said.

The accused ran from the scene only after one of the passengers called the Police.

The victim had noted down the registration number of the bike, which helped police trace the accused.

“The bike belonged to Jaideep Mundhe (26). We also arrested Mangesh Mundhe (30) and Anil Suryawanshi (22). All of them are residents of Agasan village. The accused don’t have any previous cases against them,” a senior officer from Thane police said.

Mumbai Police filed a FIR against three accused 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), 392, 323, 504 506 and 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

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