E-Paper
5 arrested for attacking youth with hockey stick, knives at Navi Mumbai
Days after a Pune family moved to Koparkhairane because they opposed their teenage daughter’s friendship to a 22-year-old man, the youth with his four other friends, armed with knives and a hockey stick, went to the girl’s new home at Navi Mumbai and attacked her brother outside their home. The police have nabbed the five accused. The girl’s brother has sustained minor injuries in the attack.
According to the police, the main accused, Avinash Khatape, wanted to marry the minor girl but her family opposed the alliance. The girl’s family then moved from Pune around three days ago.
An officer from Koparkhairane police station said, “After knowing about the girl’s whereabouts, he and his four friends reached Koparkhairane on Sunday to threaten the minor’s family. The five had a hockey stick and knives and attacked the girl’s brother.”
The police received a call from the control room, following which constables Sainath Sonawane, Mahesh Gawde, Mukinda Solankar and Sachin Dalvi reached the spot at Sector 11 but by then the accused fled the area.
“A crowd had gathered there. One of the persons managed to see the partial number of the accused’s van. We immediately left on the patrolling bikes to chase them,” said Sonawane.
The five drove towards the Thane-Belapur Road.
Along the way, with inputs from autorickshaw drivers and roadside shops, the police chased the car towards Dighe in Navi Mumbai for close to 8 kilometres and cornered the accused near Rabale MIDC area.
The men then left the van and ran but the constables nabbed them from the forest area.
The police recovered the hockey stick and three knives from their possession and seized the van. The other accused were identified as Sumit Shinde, 19; Bharat Parte, 22; Anil Pilane, 22, and Sandip Dardige, 23. All the five are arrested for rioting and assault along with other sections of the Indian Arms Act. They have been remanded in judicial custody.
All the accused are unemployed, said the police. The police are yet to record statements of the girl’s family members.