Beed police arrest seven in connection with assault in Parali
According to the police, Divate was abducted between 3 to 3.30 pm on Friday while he was returning from the Hanuman Mandir event
The Beed police have arrested seven youths on charges of allegedly abducting and assaulting a youth identified as Shivraj Narayan Divate, a resident of Limbota in Parali Tahsil, on Friday afternoon. A video of the attack went viral on social media bringing back memories of the abduction and murder of Massajog Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh. The incident prompted deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar to direct Beed police not to hesitate to invoke the stringent MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act) if required.
According to the police, Divate was abducted between 3 to 3.30 pm on Friday while he was returning from the Hanuman Mandir event. He was attacked with sticks and iron rods by a group of twenty people. An eyewitness shot a video of the attack while some others intervened.
By that time, the complainant had fallen unconscious. Divate, who suffered injuries and was hospitalised, said, “They were talking among them to make me ‘Santosh Deshmukh Part 2’. The police must take strict action against them.”
When contacted, Beed superintendent of police Navneet Kanwat said, “We have arrested seven persons so far in connection with the assault on Divate. Police have registered a case for attempt to murder and rioting. The victim has given the names of ten accused persons, and out of them, two are minors.” Referring to the video of the assault, deputy CM Pawar told reporters in Pune that he had asked the police to impose charges under MCOCA if needed. Pawar is the guardian minister of the Beed district.
The police have invoked BNS sections 109, 126 (2),140 (3),118 (1), 189 (2), 189 (4), 190, 193 (3) against the accused. The police appealed that the incident was a fight between youths and religious or casteist overtones must not be given to the incident.
