Mumbai: Man Brings Goats Home for Sacrifice on Bakrid; Neighbours Recite Hanuman Chalisa to Protest

A tussle erupted at a housing complex in Mumbai’s Mira Bhayander area on Tuesday after a Muslim man brought two goats for their sacrifice on Bakrid. Irked residents recited Hanuman Chalisa and raised ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans on the housing premises to protest against the goats brought by the man, identified as Mohsin Sheikh.

The residents claimed the society has a rule that no livestock would be allowed on the premises, and demanded that the animals be taken out of the housing complex.

A case has been registered against 11 people under relevant sections of IPC for bringing the goats for sacrifice, police said.

Mohsin said there are 200 to 250 Muslim families living in the society and every year he was given space to keep goats for sacrifice on Bakrid. But this year, Mohsin said, he wasn’t given any space and was asked to talk to the society’s residents.

According to Mohsin, he asked the society for a place to keep the goats on the premises but was denied permission. Following this, Mohsin brought the goats to his home in the early hours of Tuesday.

“We never sacrifice goats on the society premises, we always get the slaughter done either at the slaughterhouse or the goat shop,” said Mohsin.

As the residents of the society began protesting, police were called and a large number of forces were deployed to placate the situation.

“Our society had passed a rule that no livestock would be allowed inside the society, but they (some residents of the society) violated it and brought two goats inside. We are opposing it and will not allow it,” a resident of the society told ANI.

“We appeal to all to maintain communal harmony and follow the rules of the society,” another resident added.

Police told the protesting residents that as per the rules, sacrifice won’t be allowed on the housing premises. Police also said they have asked for the goats to be taken away considering the sentiments of the residents.

‘They Abused Us, Called Us Terrorist’

Meanwhile, an FIR was filed at Mira Road police station by a resident of the society whose family was stopped from keeping a goat in the house ahead of Bakrid.

According to the FIR, the resident alleged that in 2019, the builder of the society had promised to allot space to keep goats on the housing premises. But in 2022, due to some construction work in the building, the space was taken by a contractor and “we got a mail that goats cannot be kept there”.

Following this, the family and some other Muslim families had been constantly pitching a meeting to discuss a place to keep goats ahead of Barkid, which was being avoided, the FIR stated.

A mail was also written stating that if the place is not provided, they would have to get goats home. To this, there was a response that there is no space in the society and the committee cannot decide on allotting space

The FIR further stated that several Muslim families also filed a complaint at Kashmira police station that there is a threat to their life and that some housing society members are purposely not cooperating with them. Following this, a meeting was held to reach a consensus on the matter.

“On June 27, we got a goat at home and tied it on our balcony. Then we went shopping and when we returned, the watchman and 30-40 people stopped our car. They abused us, hit my husband and called us terrorists. They also said that we will cut pig in your house,” the FIR alleged.