Kolhapur violence was planned, attackers brought from outside against Muslims: Fact-finding report
New Delhi: A fact-finding report has revealed that the mob attacks on a 300-year-old mosque, dozens of houses, and properties owned by Muslims in Kolhapur district were planned, and the attackers were brought from outside to unleash violence.
According to Kashmir Media Servic,e on July 14, a Hindutva mob attacked a 300-year-old mosque, dozens of houses, and properties of Muslims in Gajapur village, Kolhapur district. The fact-finding report found that a total of 42 structures, including 41 houses, 10 shops, and a 300-year-old mosque, were attacked.
The team, comprising leaders from the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), Study of Society and Secularism (CSSS), and other groups, demanded a High Court-monitored probe into the incident.
The delegation met with victims, including Siraj Qasim Parbholkar, chairman of the 300-year-old Masjid Raza Jama Masjid Trust, and other villagers. According to the team, all attackers were outsiders, brought in after meetings were held at the initiative of Ravinder Padwal at the home of Narayan Pandurang Velhar.
The attackers were armed with swords, hammers, pickaxes, rods, and iron pipes. The attack continued from 12 noon to 5 pm, resulting in significant damage and looting. A copy of the Holy Quran was burnt, and walls of a cemetery were damaged.
The report stated that the motive of the attack appears to be political and communal, targeting Muslims with no connection to encroachments. The team demanded separate FIRs for each person’s losses, investigation under High Court supervision, severe punishment for culprits, and terror charges against them.
