BJP leader Kirit Somaiya’s driver booked for negligent driving

The Khar police on Sunday registered an FIR against Somaiya’s driver under sections 279, 337 of the IPC for alleged negligent driving.

A day after the arrest of Amravati MP Navneet Rana and her husband MLA Ravi Rana, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kirit Somaiya’s driver was booked for driving dangerously outside Khar police station on Sunday.

Somaiya insisted that as he entered the Khar police station, more than 60 to 70 Shiv Sena members hurled abuses at him and pelted stones at his car. (Pratik Chorge/HT Photo)

In return, Somaiya too filed a police complaint against the Shiv Sainiks. The police are now waiting for the former MP’s signature on his statement to register the FIR as he has refused to sign it.

The Khar police on Sunday registered an FIR against Somaiya’s driver under sections 279, 337 of the IPC for alleged negligent driving. The FIR was filed on the complaint of former Mumbai mayor and Sena leader Vishwanath Mahadeshwar. The incident took place on Saturday night when Somaiya went to visit the Rana couple who were under custody at the police station.

Somaiya insisted that as he entered the Khar police station, more than 60 to 70 Shiv Sena members hurled abuses at him and pelted stones at his car.

Videos shared on social media showed the window of Somaiya’s car shattered and an injury on his chin, after the attack. Somaiya tweeted that Sena workers had tried to kill him in the presence of police. He then headed to Bandra police station to register an FIR along with his lawyer and party workers against the Shiv Sena activists.

According to Rajesh Devare, senior police inspector of Bandra police station, Somiaya was at the police station till 2.30am where his statement was recorded in the presence of his lawyer but after the statement was read out to him, he refused to sign it.

“The FIR has not been filed as Somaiya did not sign his statement. We will call him again today and request him to sign the copy in order to officially register the FIR. A medical examination was also done,” said Devare.

The Bandra police station said they had added sections 144 (unlawful assembly), 336 (act so rashly or negligently as to endanger human life or the personal safety of others) and 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) of the Indian Penal Code in the FIR.

Somaiya accused the police of working under the pressure of CM Uddhav Thackrey. He also alleged that Mumbai Police refused to register his FIR at first. When the police filed an FIR on his complaint, he said, “They wrote (in the complaint) that only one stone was pelted at my car.”