Mumbai News: Scuffle At Cutchi Memon Jamat AGM Leads To FIR Ahead Of Committee Elections

The annual general meeting of the Cutchi Memon Jamat of Mumbai, held in their community hall in Mandvi on Sunday, ended in a scuffle between two groups contesting elections to select a new committee on September 21. Following this, a police complaint was filed against three persons present at the gathering.

FIR Filed Against Three Members

On Tuesday, Mohammad Rizwan Coatwala, a resident of Goregaon, a member and former vice-president of the Cutchi Memon Jamat Trust, filed an FIR under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2024, alleging restraint, hurt, intentional insult, threat to injure, abetment, and planning of an offence without direct involvement.

Allegations of Assault

Coatwala alleged that following a disagreement over the election of committee members, he was prevented from going to the stage by the current vice-president, Irshad Lakdawala, his son, and niece. He alleged he was abused and hit. He said he was taken to a hospital by taxi for a medical examination.

Lakdawala Denies Charges

Lakdawala said that the accusations against him are false. "The video that recorded the event shows clearly that I was not involved in the assault. In the video, I am seen sitting at the table on the other side. The complaint has been filed to stop me from contesting the elections. I have been elected to the committee three times, and some people do not want me to contest for the fourth time," said Lakdawala, who added that he was applying for the quashing of the FIR. "The allegations against me are false, and I will go to the highest court to get the bogus complaint quashed," said Lakdawala.

Call for Supervision of Elections

Coatwala said he has asked the Maharashtra State Board of Waqf, the administrative body for Muslim religious trusts, to supervise the elections on Sunday. "We are worried that the elections will be rigged," said Coatwala, who added that he was attacked because he objected to the selection of two people as chairman and president without a consensus.

About the Trust

The Cutchi, also spelled as Kutchi Memon Jamat Trust, represents a prominent trading and philanthropic community. The trust manages Zakaria Masjid, an important mosque in central Mumbai, a banquet hall, and tenanted buildings. The trust is managed by a committee of 15 members, including a president and a vice president. 

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