On April 14, the father of a minor Hindu girl complained to the Navghar Police station in Mumbai’s Mira Road area. It alleged that Mohammed Imran Daraj Khan had committed the grave offences of raping, intimidating, and severely harassing his 4-year-old daughter. The victim was acquainted with the accused as a neighbour, who operated a chicken shop near the Orange Hospital on Mira Road. Often, he lured the girl with chocolates and cookies, despite her father’s objections.
The incident in question is said to have taken place on April 7, although it only came to light on Sunday, April 14, when the girl complained of stomach pain. It was then that she confided in her father about Khan, the owner of the nearby chicken business, and what he had allegedly done to her approximately a week prior, after threatening to silence her.
According to the complaint filed by the girl’s father, the girl was alone when the incident occurred. Her father, a barber whose shop is adjacent to the accused’s establishment, has been looking after her while her mother is away at her maternal home for a few days.
Upon learning of the situation, the accused began luring the girl with sweets and biscuits. On April 7, he invited her to his chicken shop, where he offered her chocolates before assaulting her. He forcibly removed her pants and inserted his fingers deeply into her genitalia, resulting in significant bleeding. Subsequently, he threatened her with a large knife, coercing her into silence under the threat of death.
#Maharashtra | A 4-year-old hindu girl child allegedly sexually assaulted by a 45-year-old man named Muhammad Daraj in Ramdev Park, Mira-Bhayandar Thane pic.twitter.com/lCEy4F7wJX
— Organiser Weekly (@eOrganiser) April 15, 2024
The girl got scared and didn’t utter a word. However, the father of the girl noticed some changes in her behaviour. “She was strangely quiet and not active as usual. I asked her a couple of times about what happened but she didn’t say a word. Suddenly on Sunday, April 14, she complained that her stomach was aching. Initially, I thought, it would be because of the heat or she must have eaten something that doesn’t suit her. But she continued complaining and began crying. Later I patiently asked her to know that she had been raped by the chicken shop owner, Khan,” the father of the girl said in the complaint.
After informing other neighbours, the girl’s father quickly took her to the hospital. Subsequently, he proceeded to the Navaghar Police Station to file a police complaint. The police have charged the accused under Sections 376 (rape) and 506 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, as well as Sections 4, 8, and 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. Moreover, the accused are liable under the provisions of Sections 37 and 135 of the Maharashtra Police Act, 1951.
Following the revelation of the incident on April 14, there were extensive protests in the Mira Road area that evening, involving members of the Hindu community and neighbouring communities. Fueled by anger, protestors brandished signs demanding justice for the 4-year-old girl and calling for the perpetrators to face the death penalty. However, evidence suggests that the demonstrators were met with police intervention in the form of a lathi charge. Eventually, a First Information Report (FIR) was lodged regarding the events.
The young victim girl is presently undergoing treatment at the nearby hospital while the police continue their investigations.
Despite ongoing societal debates, some in Indian society persist in denying the existence of grooming jihad, communal crimes, violence against Hindus, and forced conversion to Islam. They argue that Hindus unfairly target Islamists under the guise of majoritarianism. However, the truth contrasts starkly with this perspective.
