Khambhat: Moinuddin attacks Hindu father-son with knife ‘on abbu’s instructions’; media calls him ‘mentally unstable’, complainant tells a different story
A case has come to light in Khambhat’s Nandana area where a Hindu father and son were allegedly attacked with a knife by a man named Moinuddin. While sections of the media are describing the accused as “mentally unstable,” the victim’s family has asserted that he is perfectly sound of mind and has been deliberately targeting members of only one community. Furthermore, the Hindu family has alleged that when they tried to reason with the accused’s father, he openly threatened them in front of the police, saying, “Do whatever you can.” The police have registered a case and initiated further action in the matter. Khambhat City Police have registered an FIR against the accused’s father, Sajjad Hussain Akbar Hussain Syed; his brother, Mohammad Sohaib Sajjad Hussain Syed; and his mother, Tehzibnisha Sajjad Hussain Syed, and have begun further proceedings. OpIndia has accessed a copy of the FIR. The case has been registered under Sections 125(A), 125(B), 352, 351(3), and 54 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Section 135 of the Gujarat Police Act. The incident occurred on Sunday (21 December) at Peeth Bazaar in Khambhat. The complainant, Nehal Sanjaybhai Raval, runs a shop named Chamunda General Store in the area. On the morning of 21 December, Nehal Raval and his father Sanjaybhai were sitting in their shop and talking when Moinuddin Syed, a resident of Nakratni Pol, suddenly entered the shop holding a knife and began hurling abuses. He allegedly shouted that, “My abbu Sajjad Hussain has told me to finish off two or three Raval people before coming back.” Saying this, the accused attempted to attack Nehal with the knife, but Nehal placed the shop counter in between, preventing any injury. The accused then allegedly tried to attack again. This time, Nehal’s father Sanjaybhai placed a chair in front of him, yet he still suffered a knife injury on his left hand and began bleeding. As people from the surrounding area gathered, Moinuddin was caught and taken to his house. It is alleged that during this time, the accused’s father, brother, and mother collectively began threatening the complainant’s family instead. ‘My son will roam freely, do whatever you can’: Victim alleges threat Speaking to OpIndia, complainant Nehal stated that while they were at the police station discussing the incident in the presence of the police, the accused’s father threatened them and started abusing them. He allegedly told the complainant, “My son is mad and had taken the knife from home. My son will roam freely, do whatever you can.” He also reportedly threatened, “If you come with any complaint against Moinuddin, I will kill you.” These details have also been mentioned in the FIR. The complaint further states that Moinuddin had previously attacked residents in and around Khambhat, including Kamlesh Raval, Anil Raval, and Gopalbhai Raval. He is alleged to have repeatedly targeted only people from the Raval community. It is claimed that he has attacked different individuals around six times, and all the victims belonged to the Raval community. Media portraying the accused as ‘mentally unstable’ The role of the media in this entire episode has been highlighted as significant. In reports, videos, and other references published by the media, the accused Moinuddin is being described as “mentally unstable.” On the other hand, complainant Nehal told OpIndia that the accused is completely mentally sound and acts with full awareness. Nehal argued that if Moinuddin were truly “mentally unstable,” why does he not attack people within his own home, or Muslims living in his neighbourhood? Why does he target only Hindu members of the Raval community? He questioned the media, asking why a person claimed to be mentally unstable does not indiscriminately attack everyone, including his own family, as would normally be the case. Nehal further claimed that the accused walks, talks, and behaves normally, yet is being portrayed as “mad” or “mentally unstable.” He said that the police are currently verifying the alleged certificate of “mental instability” attributed to Moinuddin, and if anything suspicious is found, further action will be taken accordingly. It is noteworthy that this is not the first instance where an accused belonging to a “particular community” has been labelled “mentally unstable.” The media, according to the complainant, has been doing this for years. There have been numerous past cases where Hindus were victims and Muslim individuals were accused, and the media attempted to whitewash such cases by branding the accused as “mentally unstable.” The complainant has alleged that the same pattern is being repeated in this case as well.
A case has come to light in Khambhat’s Nandana area where a Hindu father and son were allegedly attacked with a knife by a man named Moinuddin. While sections of the media are describing the accused as “mentally unstable,” the victim’s family has asserted that he is perfectly sound of mind and has been deliberately targeting members of only one community.
Furthermore, the Hindu family has alleged that when they tried to reason with the accused’s father, he openly threatened them in front of the police, saying, “Do whatever you can.” The police have registered a case and initiated further action in the matter.
Khambhat City Police have registered an FIR against the accused’s father, Sajjad Hussain Akbar Hussain Syed; his brother, Mohammad Sohaib Sajjad Hussain Syed; and his mother, Tehzibnisha Sajjad Hussain Syed, and have begun further proceedings. OpIndia has accessed a copy of the FIR. The case has been registered under Sections 125(A), 125(B), 352, 351(3), and 54 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Section 135 of the Gujarat Police Act. The incident occurred on Sunday (21 December) at Peeth Bazaar in Khambhat. The complainant, Nehal Sanjaybhai Raval, runs a shop named Chamunda General Store in the area.
On the morning of 21 December, Nehal Raval and his father Sanjaybhai were sitting in their shop and talking when Moinuddin Syed, a resident of Nakratni Pol, suddenly entered the shop holding a knife and began hurling abuses. He allegedly shouted that, “My abbu Sajjad Hussain has told me to finish off two or three Raval people before coming back.” Saying this, the accused attempted to attack Nehal with the knife, but Nehal placed the shop counter in between, preventing any injury.
The accused then allegedly tried to attack again. This time, Nehal’s father Sanjaybhai placed a chair in front of him, yet he still suffered a knife injury on his left hand and began bleeding. As people from the surrounding area gathered, Moinuddin was caught and taken to his house. It is alleged that during this time, the accused’s father, brother, and mother collectively began threatening the complainant’s family instead.
‘My son will roam freely, do whatever you can’: Victim alleges threat
Speaking to OpIndia, complainant Nehal stated that while they were at the police station discussing the incident in the presence of the police, the accused’s father threatened them and started abusing them. He allegedly told the complainant, “My son is mad and had taken the knife from home. My son will roam freely, do whatever you can.” He also reportedly threatened, “If you come with any complaint against Moinuddin, I will kill you.” These details have also been mentioned in the FIR.
The complaint further states that Moinuddin had previously attacked residents in and around Khambhat, including Kamlesh Raval, Anil Raval, and Gopalbhai Raval. He is alleged to have repeatedly targeted only people from the Raval community. It is claimed that he has attacked different individuals around six times, and all the victims belonged to the Raval community.
Media portraying the accused as ‘mentally unstable’
The role of the media in this entire episode has been highlighted as significant. In reports, videos, and other references published by the media, the accused Moinuddin is being described as “mentally unstable.” On the other hand, complainant Nehal told OpIndia that the accused is completely mentally sound and acts with full awareness. Nehal argued that if Moinuddin were truly “mentally unstable,” why does he not attack people within his own home, or Muslims living in his neighbourhood? Why does he target only Hindu members of the Raval community? He questioned the media, asking why a person claimed to be mentally unstable does not indiscriminately attack everyone, including his own family, as would normally be the case.
Nehal further claimed that the accused walks, talks, and behaves normally, yet is being portrayed as “mad” or “mentally unstable.” He said that the police are currently verifying the alleged certificate of “mental instability” attributed to Moinuddin, and if anything suspicious is found, further action will be taken accordingly.
It is noteworthy that this is not the first instance where an accused belonging to a “particular community” has been labelled “mentally unstable.” The media, according to the complainant, has been doing this for years. There have been numerous past cases where Hindus were victims and Muslim individuals were accused, and the media attempted to whitewash such cases by branding the accused as “mentally unstable.” The complainant has alleged that the same pattern is being repeated in this case as well.
