Faisal Usman Khan (25) has been working as a driver for a cab aggregator firm since December 2018. On Monday morning, round 3 am, Khan was on his method to Mumbai after choosing up passengers from the Manav Kalyan Hospital in Diva when the automobile broke down.

“I switched on the parking lights and was trying to restart the car when three men on a scooter came from behind and started banging the windows,” Khan recounted. “They were reeking of alcohol and wanted to know why I had stopped my vehicle in the middle of the road,” he added.

The accused then allegedly took the keys of the automobile, dragged Khan and one of many passengers out and began abusing them. “… the lads additionally began abusing me for my faith and mentioned that if I chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ loudly, they are going to let me go,” Khan mentioned.

The accused then took his cell phone and fled after one of many passengers known as the police, Khan mentioned.

READ | Jharkhand man dies days after he was assaulted for ‘theft’, made to chant Jai Shri Ram

When Khan registered a criticism with the police on Monday, he simply informed them concerning the bodily violence and the theft of his telephone. “I used to be in shock and was apprehensive concerning the repercussions on my household. However, I later informed senior officers on the police station the entire story. They assured me that I had nothing to worry,” Khan mentioned. He then narrated your entire incident, together with being pressured to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’, in his assertion to the police on Tuesday.

In his assertion to the police, Khan mentioned, “The accused began hitting me with wires and once I screamed out loud ‘Ya Allah’, I used to be informed to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ if I needed to be spared.”

The Mumbra police registered an FIR in opposition to the three males on Tuesday underneath sections 295 (a) (Deliberate and malicious acts, supposed to outrage non secular emotions of any class by insulting its faith or non secular beliefs), 392 (Punishment for theft), 323 ( Punishment for voluntarily inflicting damage), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to impress breach of peace), 506 (Punishment for prison intimidation) and 34 (Acts performed by a number of individuals in furtherance of frequent intention) of the Indian Penal Code, police mentioned.

“The victim had noted down the registration number of the bike, which helped us trace the accused. The bike belonged to Jaideep Mundhe (26), who was riding it that day. We also arrested Mangesh Mundhe (30) and Anil Suryawanshi (22). All of them are residents of Agasan village. The accused don’t have any previous cases against them,” mentioned a senior officer from Thane police.

Thane police commissioner Vivek Phansalkar mentioned, “Based on the content material of the criticism, we’ve got registered an offense and have additionally included the part for insulting and hurting non secular beliefs. The three accused have been arrested by the police and are in our custody. Further investigation is occurring.”

For Khan, whose cell phone and automobile are nonetheless with the police, the incident got here as a shock.

“We had heard of incidents like this on information and social media. But it has occurred to me now and I’m scared… But, the police have been very cooperative and useful,” he mentioned.

The incident comes days after the dying of Tabrez Ansari, a youth in Jharkhand, who was allegedly crushed to dying by a mob. Ansari (22) was allegedly pressured to chant “Jai Shri Ram” and “Jai Hanuman” in Jharkhand’s Saraikela Kharsawan district.