Mira Road, May 26: A dispute over the stabling of sacrificial livestock ahead of Bakri Eid sparked violent confrontations and heavy police deployment at a residential complex in Mira Road, near Bhayandar.
What began as an internal neighbourhood disagreement escalated into a communal standoff involving right-wing protests, a knife attack and retaliatory demonstrations.
Tensions escalate over livestock inside society
The unrest unfolded at Poonam Cluster, a diverse housing society where families from various religious backgrounds reside. The friction began earlier this week when several Muslim residents brought goats and buffaloes into the complex premises in preparation for the upcoming festival. Objecting to the presence of the animals, a group of residents launched a counter-protest, leading to heated arguments.
The situation deteriorated rapidly on Monday night when right-wing Hindutva organisations staged a large-scale demonstration outside the complex gates. Although police managed to temporarily defuse the initial confrontation, the standoff reignited with greater intensity on Tuesday morning.
Demanding the immediate eviction of the livestock, a massive crowd gathered outside the housing society. In a bid to escalate the protest, some activists attempted to force three pigs into the residential compound, whilst others chanted the Hanuman Chalisa and shouted religious slogans.
Knife attack during confrontation
The atmosphere turned violent in the afternoon during what was described as an attempt to negotiate the removal of a wooden shed housing the livestock.
According to the First Information Report (FIR) registered at the Kashimira Police Station, a man pulled out a knife and attempted to assault Naganath Kamble, the District Secretary of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP).
A local resident, Harsh Singh, intervened to shield Kamble and sustained a deep laceration to his left palm. The assailant also reportedly injured a 16-year-old bystander, Karan Jain, before fleeing the scene through the crowd. Singh was subsequently rushed to the Pandit Bhimsen Joshi General Hospital in Bhayandar for medical treatment.
In response to the knife attack, Kamble issued a warning, alleging that fundamentalist elements were targeting Hindu activists. Conversely, Muslim leaders expressed deep concern over the growing hostility.
Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Asim Azmi defended the residents' religious obligations, stating that peaceful sacrifices had historically been conducted discreetly within housing societies, and alleged that the current opposition was a deliberate attempt to polarise the communities.
Heavy police presence and legal action
To prevent the situation from spiralling completely out of control, a heavy contingent of police personnel was deployed to the area. Following mediation by senior officers, vehicles were eventually brought in to relocate the goats from the residential society.
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The Kashimira Police have registered a criminal case under Sections 115(2) and 118(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, for voluntarily causing hurt with dangerous weapons.
Under the leadership of Police Inspector Swapnil Maruti Kadam, authorities are tracking the unidentified suspect using eyewitness descriptions.
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