Eight arrested in Saswad Iftar assault case

The incident occurred on March 13, when around 14 men from Kondhwa had gathered near a lakeside to break their Ramzan fast

The Pune Rural Police have arrested eight persons in connection with the assault on a group of men during an Iftar gathering in Askarwadi village near Bopdev Ghat in Saswad earlier this month, officials said. The arrests were made on the night of March 27.

According to police, a group of 50 to 150 people allegedly attacked them with sticks, rods and other weapons, injuring several. (REPRESENTATIVE PIC)

The incident occurred on March 13, when around 14 men from Kondhwa had gathered near a lakeside to break their Ramzan fast. According to police, a group of 50 to 150 people allegedly attacked them with sticks, rods and other weapons, injuring several. Some victims claimed the attackers made objectionable remarks before resorting to violence.

An FIR was registered at Saswad police station on March 14 under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)—including Sections 118, 189(2), 190, 191(3), 351(2), and 352—as well as Section 135 of the Maharashtra Police Act, covering unlawful assembly, rioting, assault with weapons and criminal intimidation.

Police said the accused were identified through video evidence and eyewitness accounts, following which a search operation was launched. The assailants had reportedly arrived on multiple two-wheelers and attacked the group shortly after they began their meal. Efforts are ongoing to identify and arrest others involved.

The Pune unit of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), through an eight-member fact-finding committee, condemned the attack and alleged police inaction. PUCL office-bearers G.D. Parekh, Milind Champanerkar, and Anagha Lele said similar incidents targeting minority communities have occurred in the region over the past year and a half.

“Such criminal violations of civil liberties in broad daylight raise serious concerns about accountability and the rule of law,” PUCL said in a statement, urging swift investigation and action against all those involved.

Police said the investigation is ongoing.