The Crossbill News Desk
In a troubling instance of targeted communal hostility, several Muslim families in Paud and Pirangut villages of Mulshi taluka, Pune district, have been forced to flee following threats, economic boycotts, and a climate of fear allegedly orchestrated by right-wing groups. Despite having lived in these villages for decades, the affected Muslims are being labelled “non-natives,” triggering socio-economic isolation and displacement.
The communal tensions reportedly began after an alleged desecration of an idol of goddess Annapurna in Paud on May 2, followed by a rally organised by the BJP and affiliated organisations on May 5, news website The Wire reported.
At the rally, according to the civil rights groups, open threats were issued against Muslims, accusing them of being “outsiders.”
A joint fact-finding team from the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) and the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) visited the two villages on July 2 and found widespread fear, shuttered Muslim-owned businesses, and families in hiding or having relocated. PUCL condemned the ongoing economic boycott as unconstitutional and said legal action is being prepared.
Posters calling for a boycott of “non-native Muslims” soon appeared in the area, sparking widespread concern. Though the Pune Rural Police removed the posters following orders from Superintendent of Police Sandeep Singh Gill, the situation on the ground remains dire.
At a press conference held by PUCL in Pune on July 4, the owner of Roshan Bakery in Paud said his family, which has lived in the village for 40 years, has been told not to reopen the bakery or face violence.
“Despite multiple complaints, police have provided no protection,” he said.
Two other establishments, New Sangam and New Bharat bakeries, also remain closed, affecting nearly 400 daily wage workers, including several Hindu vendors.
The civil rights groups also met with local police officials. Inspector Santosh Girigosavi of Paud Police Station confirmed the removal of the inflammatory posters but acknowledged that the situation continues to be tense. Many business owners have reported being pressured to sell or lease their shops under threat.
Hindu Rashtra Sena leader Dhananjay Desai, previously acquitted in the 2014 murder case of IT professional Mohsin Shaikh, has been accused of coordinating threats from a farmhouse near Vitthalwadi. Police have registered a case against Desai for illegal possession of the farmhouse, but he is currently absconding.
In one incident, a scrap shop owned by a local Muslim resident was set ablaze in early June, resulting in losses worth Rs 20 lakh.
The owner, who had lived in the area for years, said he was forced to relocate his family to Kamshet and has yet to receive any compensation despite filing a complaint.
The hate campaign has extended to religious spaces as well. Posters were put up outside two mosques warning against the entry of “outsiders” for prayers. Though removed, fear persists among worshippers, and many have stopped attending the mosques.
The displacement has disrupted education for many children and uprooted families, with several now taking refuge in ancestral homes in Uttar Pradesh or nearby towns like Kamshet. Villagers also reported heightened surveillance through WhatsApp groups, with members monitoring and sharing photographs of Muslims’ movements.
The communal tensions reportedly began after an alleged desecration of an idol of goddess Annapurna in Paud on May 2, followed by a rally organised by the BJP and affiliated organisations on May 5, news website The Wire reported.
At the rally, according to the civil rights groups, open threats were issued against Muslims, accusing them of being “outsiders.”
A joint fact-finding team from the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) and the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) visited the two villages on July 2 and found widespread fear, shuttered Muslim-owned businesses, and families in hiding or having relocated. PUCL condemned the ongoing economic boycott as unconstitutional and said legal action is being prepared.
Posters calling for a boycott of “non-native Muslims” soon appeared in the area, sparking widespread concern. Though the Pune Rural Police removed the posters following orders from Superintendent of Police Sandeep Singh Gill, the situation on the ground remains dire.
At a press conference held by PUCL in Pune on July 4, the owner of Roshan Bakery in Paud said his family, which has lived in the village for 40 years, has been told not to reopen the bakery or face violence.
“Despite multiple complaints, police have provided no protection,” he said.
Two other establishments, New Sangam and New Bharat bakeries, also remain closed, affecting nearly 400 daily wage workers, including several Hindu vendors.
The civil rights groups also met with local police officials. Inspector Santosh Girigosavi of Paud Police Station confirmed the removal of the inflammatory posters but acknowledged that the situation continues to be tense. Many business owners have reported being pressured to sell or lease their shops under threat.
Hindu Rashtra Sena leader Dhananjay Desai, previously acquitted in the 2014 murder case of IT professional Mohsin Shaikh, has been accused of coordinating threats from a farmhouse near Vitthalwadi. Police have registered a case against Desai for illegal possession of the farmhouse, but he is currently absconding.
In one incident, a scrap shop owned by a local Muslim resident was set ablaze in early June, resulting in losses worth Rs 20 lakh.
The owner, who had lived in the area for years, said he was forced to relocate his family to Kamshet and has yet to receive any compensation despite filing a complaint.
The hate campaign has extended to religious spaces as well. Posters were put up outside two mosques warning against the entry of “outsiders” for prayers. Though removed, fear persists among worshippers, and many have stopped attending the mosques.
The displacement has disrupted education for many children and uprooted families, with several now taking refuge in ancestral homes in Uttar Pradesh or nearby towns like Kamshet. Villagers also reported heightened surveillance through WhatsApp groups, with members monitoring and sharing photographs of Muslims’ movements.
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