Man refuses to accept delivery from Muslim, arrested in Mumbai

By Team Newsable | First Published Apr 23, 2020, 4:05 PM IST

A groceries delivery agent on Friday registered a complaint against a client, who allegedly refused to accept an order because it was being delivered by a Muslim

Mumbai: A 51-year-old man, who allegedly refused to collect groceries from a delivery man after learning that he was a Muslim, was arrested in Mumbai on Tuesday, hours after his Islamophobic comments were recorded on video by the employee.

A resident of Mira Road from his Srushti Complex home was produced before the Thane sessions court and remanded to judicial custody. According to the police, the accused has been identified as Gajanan Chaturvedi, who lives with his family.

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The incident occurred on Tuesday, when the 32-year-old delivery boy, Barkat Patel, a resident of Naya Nagar, was delivering groceries ordered online. “I have been risking my life and delivering essential goods to homes,” the delivery boy said.

“And to think that in these tough times too, people want to focus on religion is shocking and saddening,” he added. He said he was wearing a mask and gloves at the time.

The first of Patel’s nine deliveries on Tuesday was at the home of Supriya Chaturvedi at Jaya Park at 9.40 am. As mandated by his employers, Patel was required to give Chaturvedi her parcel outside the gate of her apartment complex. Just as he was about to hand over the parcel, Chaturvedi’s husband, Gajanan stopped her.

Senior Inspector Sanjay Hazare of Kashimira Police station said a case has been registered against Chaturvedi under relevant sections of the Indian Penal code (IPC).

“We recorded the complainant’s statement and immediately registered an FIR. Chaturvedi was arrested the same day and produced in court. He has been remanded in judicial custody,” police inspector Sanjay Hajare said.

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