Maharashtra: BMC razed illegal house of Inquilab Khan who attacked five Hindus for allegedly praying at nearby temple

A stabbing incident has emerged from Mumbai’s Saki Naka, where a man allegedly stabbed five individuals in what appears to be an unprovoked attack. The turmoil unfolded on March 14 at 9:45 pm in the Jarimari area, leaving five people wounded.

The perpetrator, identified as Inquilab Khan, wielded a knife in an attack that left five individuals injured. Among the victims were Siddhesh Prakash Ghorpade (23), Rajesh Tangaraj Chettiyar (28), Tangaraj Chettiyar (58), Laxmi Chettiyar (52), and Vikki (30). Khan himself was admitted to Rajawadi Hospital after inflicting self-harm with the same weapon.

Khan faces a litany of charges, including drug-related offences, and stands accused of encroaching upon an area near the wall of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport to construct the unauthorised building.

Local reports suggest that Khan, with the alleged intent to disrupt harmony, harassed Hindu residents who frequently visited an adjacent temple. Despite numerous complaints lodged against him, local authorities purportedly failed to intervene.

On the night of March 14, Khan reportedly targeted individuals who had previously lodged complaints against him in a knife attack, inciting widespread outrage in the community and prompting demands for his apprehension.

The commotion extended to Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar and the Sakinaka Police Station, where the relatives of the victims demanded swift justice. Eventually, police removed Khan from Rajawadi Hospital and transferred him to another location.

Subsequently, Khan was arrested, and a case was filed against him under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for attempted murder. Investigations into the incident are ongoing.

In response to a knife attack carried out by a criminal in the Saki Naka area, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) demolished the illegal five-story house of the perpetrator. The directive came from Mumbai Suburban Guardian Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha, who ordered the demolition of all but the ground floor of the structure.

Addressing the media, Lodha emphasised the necessity of decisive action, stating, “After reviewing the incident that took place in Saki Naka, we realised that the Malvani pattern of harassing and torturing Hindus is going on here too. Hence appropriate action was taken. Injustice is being done to the sons of the soil here, which will not be tolerated anymore.”