In a disturbing incident that has shaken the Satara area near MIT College, a young Hindu girl was molested and subjected to attempted rape by a group of Islamist perpetrators on Saturday night, the 24th of February. The harrowing ordeal unfolded around 11 PM when the victim was accosted by 3–4 individuals riding a motorcycle. As she bravely resisted, the situation escalated, resulting in a violent altercation where the girl’s clothes were torn amidst the struggle. According to eyewitnesses, the Islamist assailants viciously assaulted the victim’s mother when she intervened. Enraged by the seriousness of the crime and the identities of the Islamist perpetrators, the locals swiftly mobilized. They joined forces and headed straight to the Satara police station. They identified the motorcycle’s license plate and some of its occupants, some of whom were linked to local political figures.
Notably, one of the assailants, Feroz Patel, the son of a prominent political leader, added a political dimension to the existing volatile situation. The political leader’s wife, a former Sarpanch, further compounds the gravity of the incident, amplifying community concerns regarding impunity and abuse of power.
Late into the night, law enforcement authorities took action, registering a case against 13 individuals involved in the assault. Inspector Brahm Giri confirmed the filing of charges under several sections of the Indian Penal Code. This includes sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly with a common object), 341 (wrongful restraint), 354 (assault or criminal force on a woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 294 (obscene acts or words in public), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), and 506 (criminal intimidation).
Based on the report by Lokmat Times, the Islamist assailants, identified as Feroze Patel, Faizal Patel, Wasim Patel, Sohail Shaikh, Mobin alias Moin Pathan, Aamir Maqsood Patel, Arbaz Patel, Imran Patel, Fardeen Patel, Sameer Sheikh, Rais Patel, Guhu Patel, and Taufiq, face serious legal repercussions as the investigation unfolds. Hindus are increasingly feeling targeted in such instances, raising concerns about communal harmony and safety of Hindus.
