Assault on BMC official: Court grants interim protection to Sena (UBT) leader Anil Parab

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anil Parab has been granted interim protection from arrest till July 4 in a case of alleged assault on a BMC engineer.

The sessions court on Friday granted interim protection from arrest till July 4 to Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anil Parab in connection with a case registered against him and four other party members for allegedly assaulting an assistant engineer with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Mumbai, India - June 27, 2023 : Ex Transport Minister Anil Parab appeared before Bandra Court in the case of Beating Mr. Patil, Assistant Engineer of H east ward , in Mumbai, India, on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. (Photo by Vijay Bate/HT Photo)

According to police, Parab along with other Sena (UBT) members took out a procession on Monday to the H East ward office in protest over demolition of a shakha at Nirmal Nagar in Bandra East. A delegation led by Parab, a former transport minister, went on to meet assistant commissioner Swapnaja Kshirasagar.

Parab demanded to know which civic official had carried out the demolition of their shakha and how the official could damage photos of party founder Balasaheb Thackrey and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, police officials said.

When Ajay Patil, an assistant engineer, was identified as the man who led the team of civic workers to pull down the shakha, he was assaulted by Sena (UBT) members, a complaint filed at Vakola police station said and added that Parab also threatened him that he would be thrashed if he stepped out of his home.

A video of the incident has gone viral.

On Tuesday, a case against the five people was registered under section 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), and 506(2) (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code. Four Sena (UBT) members were arrested.

Apprehending arrest, Parab on Wednesday approached the sessions court seeking anticipatory bail.

In his bail plea, Parab has said that due to the current political situation in the state, Sena (UBT) is being targeted by rival political parties and he was falsely implicated in the case.