Mumbai Police files chargesheet in Malwani violence case, three minors among 26 named accused

According to the Mumbai Police, a fight had allegedly broken out after some people at a mosque asked a procession passing by to stop playing music, which later escalated with slippers and water bottles being thrown by both sides.

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THE MUMBAI police has filed a chargesheet in a case of communal violence that broke out on the occasion of Ram Navami between two groups in Mumbai’s Malwani area and charged at least 26 people from the minority community–including three minors–all of whom are currently out on bail. One of the minors is 14-year-old.

The Malwani area, which has a substantial Muslim population, had witnessed communal violence on March 30 this year over playing of music during Ram Navami celebrations outside a mosque. In the chargesheet filed earlier this month, police said the incident that took place on March 30 was pre-planned by the accused as revenge for a similar communal incident that had taken place in the same area on the occasion of Ram Navami last year.

Soon after the incident, the police had said prime facie it seemed that the fight between the two groups was over the music being played at the Ram Navami procession. However, the police said in the chargesheet that during their probe, they found that the incident was pre-planned and hence they added the charge of conpiracy in the case.

In the initial FIR, the accused had been charged with Sections 353 (assault or use of criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 145 (unlawful assembly) and 147 (rioting) of the IPC and relevant sections of the Maharashtra Police Act.

Now, in the chargesheet, the police have added Sections 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy), 153 (provocation leading to rioting), 153 (A), 333 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt to a public servant), 152 (assaulting a public servant when suppressing a riot) of the IPC.

The police had to wait before adding certain sections in the chargesheet since a few sections, such as 153(A) (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), required prior permission from the state administration. After the home department granted permission to the police on June 6, the Mumbai Police filed the chargesheet.

Initially, the police arrested 21 people and apprehended three minors from the spot following the incident. Later, they arrested two more people in the case based on CCTV footage of the incident, said the chargesheet. “We have filed the chargesheet and the court has taken cognisance of it,” said an IPS officer.

According to the Mumbai Police, a fight had allegedly broken out after some people at a mosque asked a procession passing by to stop playing music, which later escalated with slippers and water bottles being thrown by both sides.