In a shocking incident, a young man named Arvind Vaishya was murdered in Mumbai’s Dharavi area on Sunday, July 28, 2024. The suspects, identified as Allu, Arif, Sher Ali, and several of their associates, allegedly killed Arvind in front of police officers. Arvind was an RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) Swayamsevak.
As per the First Information Report (FIR number: 680/2024) registered at the Dharavi police station on July 29, by Vaishya’s brother, Shailendra. In the FIR, he mentioned that he witnessed his younger brother being stabbed by Niyaz (Allu) and Arif with the intention of murder.
Based on the complaint, Niyaz Sheikh and Aarif have been booked under sections 103(2), 351(2), and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyay Samhita, 2023.
Stones pelted at funeral procession
On July 30, the last rites of Arvind Vaishya were conducted in Dharavi, drawing a large crowd. During the funeral, mourners chanted slogans such as “Arvind, hum sharminda hain, tere katil zinda hain” and called for a shutdown in Dharavi until justice is served in the case.
#Mumbai | Hindus gather in #Dharavi for funeral of #RSS worker stabbed to death and demand strict action against accused Niyaz and Arif pic.twitter.com/0r2XZPT0Zl
— Organiser Weekly (@eOrganiser) July 30, 2024
Notably, Islamists attacked the funeral procession of RSS worker Arvind Vaishya in Dharavi, Mumbai. The attack occurred despite the presence of Mumbai Police officers at the scene.
Alleged chaos reported at funeral of #RSS worker who was stabbed to death in #Dharavi #Mumbai.
Alleged stone pelting happened. One Policeman was seen injured. https://t.co/VsStKpSN7f pic.twitter.com/J1GxjpelDm
— Siddhi (@sidis28) July 30, 2024
During the attack, stones were hurled at the funeral procession, resulting in injuries to at least one policeman. The violence has raised serious concerns about the effectiveness of the local police force in handling extremist threats.
What says the FIR?
According to Shailendra, Arvind’s brother, he was informed about the assault on his brother. Arvind, however, reassured Shailendra that the conflict was between the accused—Yasin, Sher Ali, Shubham, Niyaz (Allu), and Arif—and Siddesh and his father, and that he had merely gone to help them. In an FIR statement, Shailendra recounted Arvind’s words: “I asked Arvind what the matter was. He explained that Siddesh and his father were being assaulted and threatened, and that he had gone there to help. He also mentioned he was heading to the Dharavi police station to file a report against the accused.”
As Shailendra was en route to join Arvind at the police station, he was intercepted by Saddam and Jumman. They threatened him to keep an eye on his brother, warning, “Stop this matter. Otherwise, you know what’ll happen,” as stated in the FIR.
Upon reaching the Dharavi Police Station, Shailendra learned that Arvind and his friend were being escorted to Rajiv Gandhi Nagar by the police. However, when Shailendra arrived at the location, he witnessed a horrific scene: Allu and Arif were attacking Arvind. Despite the presence of a police van, Allu was apprehended at the scene while Arif attempted to escape.
Arvind was rushed to Scion Hospital, where he was declared dead upon arrival.
In a statement to the media, Shailendra expressed frustration over the handling of the case: “The police have only booked two individuals for the crime, but others involved remain at large. We demand action against all the accused—Yasin, Sher Ali, Niyaz (Allu), and the others.”
As reported earlier, the victim’s family claims that Arvind Vaishya was intentionally targeted due to his prominent role as a strong Hindu voice in the locality. According to the family, Arvind was merely trying to intervene and stop the ongoing fight when he was viciously attacked by the assailants. They allege that the attackers, led by Arif and Saddam, assaulted Arvind with the clear intent to kill. The family believes that Arvind’s outspoken Hindu identity made him a target for this brutal attack.
