17 August,2023 06:57 AM IST | Mumbai | Shirish Vaktania
Screengrab of the viral video in which the boy was assaulted
The Bandra Government Railway Police (GRP) is in the process of filing the FIR against a group of 10-15 individuals who assaulted a 16-year-old boy. The boy, hailing from Ambernath, was attempting to flee the city with a 16-year-old girl he was romantically involved with.
The couple was apprehended by the gang while on a train at Bandra Railway Terminus. The girl was wearing a burkha to conceal her identity. The incident, in which the boy was dragged off the train and assaulted, was captured and shared on social media by the gang. The girl and boy, both residents of Ambernath and students at the same school, had fallen in love.
According to officials, on the morning of July 21, the girl went to school and returned home. In the evening, around 4.30 pm, she informed her parents she was attending tuition, which she usually returns from by 6.00 pm. However, on this day, she didn't come back. Her family searched the area and contacted the tuition centre but couldn't locate her.
The family immediately filed an FIR at the Ambernath police station on July 21, suspecting that their daughter had been kidnapped.
Simultaneously, a group of men learned that the couple was attempting to flee from Bandra Railway Terminus. This group arrived at Bandra Terminus, identified the couple, and forcibly dragged the boy off the train while recording the incident, which included hate speech. In the video, the group can be seen dragging the boy by his hair and chanting the slogans of âJai Shri Ram', âLove Jihad bandh karo' (stop love jihad)
The video of the incident went viral on social media platforms, prompting the Bandra Railway Police to verify its authenticity. They confirmed the identities of the victim girl and boy, who reside in Ambernath, and contacted their parents.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Sandeep Bhajibhakare of the Railway police stated, "We are in the process of registering the FIR against the unknown individuals who assaulted the minor boy and dragged him off the train at Bandra Terminus on July 21. Though the video is dated, it gained traction on social media recently. We've confirmed its veracity and are proceeding with the FIR."
Senior Inspector Jagannath Kalaskar of the Ambernath police station reported, "We located the girl at Bandra Terminus and handed her over to her parents. Similarly, we handed over the boy to his parents. We've registered the FIR against an unidentified individual for kidnapping the girl. Our investigation continues."
