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Pune hotelier assaulted over vargani refusal;establishments say mandals pressurise for high donation
The Pimpri police have booked four persons of a Dahi Handi mandal for allegedly assaulting a hotelier who refused to pay higher donation (vargani) for the event on August 21
The Pimpri police have booked four persons of a Dahi Handi mandal for allegedly assaulting a hotelier who refused to pay higher donation (vargani) for the event on August 21.
Pawan Shivraj Nudnure, owner of Hotel Punjabi Tadka in Sant Tukaram Nagar Pimpri filed a complaint with the Pimpri police station against the accused on Tuesday. following which police lodged an FIR.
Nudnure in his complaint stated that, accused Dinesh Patil and his three accomplices, who are members of local Dahi Handi mandal, demanded ₹10,000 as contribution money for celebration of Dahi Handi. However, as Nudnure ignored them, he was assaulted in his restaurant.
After Dahi Handi on 21 August, Patil and his three two accomplices went to the Nudnure’s restaurant located in Sant Tukaram Nagar. The accused demanded ₹10,000 as Dahi Handi donation and threatened him. But, when the owner refused to pay them the amount, the accused with his accomplices assaulted Nudnure and his uncle and created ruckus at the restaurant. In this assault Nudnure and his uncle Raju Deshmukh were injured.
Pimpri police have registered a case against four persons under sections 386 (extortion by putting a person in fear of death or grievous hurt), 323 ( punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult ), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation).
Manchak Ipper,deputy commissioner of police at Pimpri-Chinchwad police commissionerate, (Zone 1) said, “On Tuesday we had a meeting with all mandalas in Pimpri-Chinchwad and told them that we are not tolerating any kind of forceful collection of vargani. We have instructed local police station to lodge a police case under extortion if anybody forcefully collects vargani.’’
Shankar Awtade senior police inspector at Pimpri police station said the accused will be arrested,
Mandals pressuring for higher donation
Mandal members often visit door-to-door to collect donation during Dahi Handi, Ganpati festival and Navratri for large celebrations. While the legality of such collection drive has been questioned, there are gray areas in the law making any penal action difficult even as complaints pile up about alleged extortion carried out by the mandals
Pune Restaurants and Hoteliers’ Association (PRAHA), while condemning the Pimpri incident said, business establishments in Pune are being pressurised for higher donations by mandals.
Ganesh Shetty, president of PRAHA said, “This is very unfortunate that mandals are threatening hoteliers for contribution. We are ready for the contribution but it should not be in thousands and lakhs. The hotel industry has faced severe losses due to the pandemic, and mandals must rethink before asking for contribution.”
Mandar Kale, president of Navjeet Ganesh mandal Pune said, “Many traders and other businessmen contribute voluntarily. All these festivities are taking place after two years, hence, the mandal members are over enthusiastic, which may have lead to forcefully ask contributions. This is however not acceptable and office bearer of the mandal should look in this matter.”
