How a Muslim Shopkeeper in Mumbai Became a Victim of Alleged Hate: “My Only Crime is Wearing a Beard and Cap While Running a Showroom”

Mumbai- In a disturbing incident that has sparked outrage on social media, Rafat Hussain, the Muslim owner of Mannat Ethnic Designer showroom in the Juhu area of Mumbai, has alleged he was targeted and abused by four women solely because of his religious identity. What began as a routine customer visit quickly turned into a confrontation laced with religious slurs, and when the victim sought police help, he claims he was met with a hostile crowd and an FIR filed against him instead.

According to Rafat Hussain’s account, the incident occurred on Saturday evening around 3:30 PM. Four women entered his showroom, saying they needed sherwanis and other wedding clothes for a family marriage. Hussain began showing them the garments while engaging in normal conversation. However, the tone soon changed. The women allegedly started using words that made him suspicious, before launching into an argument.

“They said, ‘You are Muslim, you people are like this only and you do things in the wrong way’,” Hussain recounted. The four women then allegedly turned aggressive, hurling religious abuses at him and physically targeting him. Fearing for his safety, Hussain somehow managed to escape the situation and rushed to the nearby Santa Cruz police station to file a complaint.

But the ordeal was far from over. By the time he reached the station and narrated the incident to the officer, a large crowd of nearly 150 people had gathered outside. Hussain claimed that 20-30 young men even entered the police station. While the police protected him from the agitated mob, they reportedly registered an FIR against the complainant himself rather than the alleged abusers.

He revealed that the incident has left him deeply shaken. “I am scared that while I am sitting in the showroom, any mob may barge in leading to an untoward incident,” he said. Hussain further disclosed that he was stuck at the police station for nearly five hours, leaving his showroom unattended during that time.

Hussain also alleged police apathy in handling the case. He claimed that he called former MLA Waris Pathan and narrated the entire episode to him. Pathan then spoke to the station duty officer, Bhushan More. According to Hussain, the officer denied the presence of any mob gathered outside the police station. “How can the police simply deny the existence of a large mob that had collected outside? Even 25-30 youths had the guts to enter inside the station to hurt me,” Hussain said on camera, expressing disbelief at the police’s response.

Hussain strongly believes the attack was pre-meditated. “Seeing what is going on around the country with the Muslim community, this particular incident seems a pre-meditated act,” he stated. He questioned how the women, who had supposedly come only to purchase wedding clothes, managed to reach the police station accompanied by a mob of 150 people. “I strongly feel a contract was given to hurt me, but I luckily escaped by running to the police station,” he added.

When asked about CCTV footage, Hussain explained that his cameras were non-functional due to a previous fire incident at the premises. “Now I have restored them,” he said. The shopkeeper, who has been in the business for 12-15 years, emphasised that he had never faced such an incident before.

The video of Hussain narrating his ordeal has gone viral on social media, triggering widespread outrage and questions about communal targeting and police response. Many users have demanded a fair and transparent investigation.