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A 26-second video, reportedly filmed on January 24, shows a Hindutva mob beating up a Muslim man while his wife and minor daughter scream for help in front of Panvel police station. The video surfaced on the internet and quickly went viral.
The Muslim family had come to the police station after facing harassment by a group of 30-40 students while travelling in Madgaon LTT Express on January 19, as per reports.
According to the victim Asif, he was travelling with his wife and two minor daughters from his village in Kankavli to Mumbai when the incident took place.
As soon as they sat on their reserved seats, nearly 30-40 young men started chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram‘ slogans. While Asif and his family sat quietly, more people joined and started singing “Mere Bharat Ka Bachha Bachha Jai Shri Ram Bolega“.
Asif said, “My wife was the only woman wearing a burqa. The group came near us and asked us to say Jai Shri Ram. They were mostly students. After some time, their teacher came up to them and questioned their behaviour.”
When Asif objected, an argument ensued between them. “After that, they started harassing us by banging our seats, throwing tea on my daughter,” he told a local news channel.
When Asif requested the mob to leave them in peace but they not budge. He further said that upon alerting the railway officials, nothing was done. “The TC came, heard us and left. He did not initiate any enquiry against the mob,” he said.
This story was originally published in siasat.com. Read the full story here.