Bhiwandi MNS prez, 6 others booked for assaulting Torrent Power Ltd employee

According to Narpoli police officials, the incident took place in the Devji Nagar area in Narpoli, located in Bhiwandi at 4pm when the Torrent employees and civic officials of Bhiwandi Nizampur City Municipal Corporation (BNCMC) approached house number 888 for disconnecting the electricity supply since the structure was classified as a dangerous building.

The accused, Manoj Gulvi, Sheetal Santosh Patil, and five other persons started abusing and assaulting the employees of Torrent Power Limited with footwear, umbrellas and punching them, video of the assault went viral on social media.

A case has been registered against them under sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 332 (Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty),504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation) 141,143,146,149 of the Indian Penal Code.

The complainant, Ajay Gaikwad, beat inspector, BNCMC, said, “I was on the field with assistant municipal commissioner along with civic officers Sachin Bhoir and Vikash Warghade. The employees of Torrent Power Limited also accompanied us to the dilapidated building in order to disconnect the electricity and remove the meter,” said Gaikwad adding, “The building is ground plus three structure and has five shops on the ground floor and five flats on each floor. The building is thirty years old and we have been serving evacuation notices to the residents for the last two years but none of them have vacated the building. Living here can be extremely dangerous, especially in the rainy season. A total of sixteen meters have been removed from the said building.”

In their defence, the accused, who also filed a complaint at the Narpoli police against Torrent employees, said that one of them intended to outrage a resident’s modesty.

The complainant identified as Sheetal Santosh Patil stated in the FIR that a torrent employee engaged in an obscene act with his hand and later touched her inappropriately. Therefore, she along with five to seven people started a heated argument with them and later assaulted him with footwear and an umbrella on the road. Following this, Sheetal Patil along with five to seven approached the police station and booked a case against him.

Madan Ballal, senior police inspector, Narpoli police station said, “We have lodged cases and counter cases of both persons. So far, no arrest has been made yet.”

Despite repeated attempts, MNS office-bearers could not be reached for comments on the matter.