Man wields swords to threaten Ambedkar Jayanti gathering in Bhiwandi, arrested

THANE: A 23-year-old man brandished swords and shouted casteist slurs during an Ambedkar Jayanti celebration, leading to his arrest under various laws.

THANE: Frustrated by loud music during a society’s Ambedkar Jayanti celebration on Sunday, a 23-year-old man came out of his house wielding two swords and screamed casteist remarks while demanding people stop the music. The situation escalated when he began chasing the crowd with the weapons. The Nijampura police have arrested the accused, Devidas Balaram Patil, under relevant sections of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, the Arms Act, and the Maharashtra Police Act, and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

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The incident occurred in Khoni village, Bhiwandi. As per police reports, the villagers had organized a musical and band performance for Monday to celebrate Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar’s 134th birth anniversary, for which around 120 people had gathered at midnight. When Devisdas was returning home from work on a bike after 10pm, he noticed the crowd and allegedly shouted vulgar casteist remarks at the gathering. He walked home to get his swords and returned towards the crowd, waving the swords in the air. He was creating fear among the attendees by charging toward them. People fled in all directions and tried to lock themselves indoors to escape Devidas. Sagar Uttam Patil, a resident who knew Devidas, persuaded him to leave the premises.

“After videos of the incident went viral on social media and few people were injured, we took immediate cognizance,” said Bhiwandi Municipal Corporation Assistant Commissioner Balaram Kondu Jadhav, who filed the official complaint.

Nijampura police station, Senior Police Inspector Vishwas Dagale added, “We have booked the accused, Devidas Balaram Patil and the investigation is currently underway.”