Chhota Rajan aide booked for assault

Fourteen people, including gangster Chhota Rajan’s aide Nilesh Paradkar, were recently booked for allegedly attacking Jeevan Kamat, president of Bharatiya Kamgar

Fourteen people, including gangster Chhota Rajan’s aide Nilesh Paradkar, were recently booked for allegedly attacking Jeevan Kamat, president of Bharatiya Kamgar Sena , a trade union of the Shiv Sena , near a hotel in Powai.

HT Image

Thursday’s attack seems to be the outcome of an argument at the five-star hotel, Powai police said.

Nilesh, alias Appa Paradkar, president of Maharashtra Mathadi and General Kamgar Sena (Shiv Sena), said the allegations against him were baseless.

The complainant, Kamat, 47, works in the housekeeping department at the hotel. In a police statement (HT has a copy), he said that for the past few days, some people claiming to be Mathadi Kamgars were stopping goods-carrying vehicles from entering the hotel and trying to extort money from the drivers.

“When I told them to not ask for money from the drivers, they said they were Appa Paradkar’s men,” Kamat said.

After a few days, Kamat received a call from Paradkar, who threatened him not to stop his men from extorting money, stated the FIR.

On December 19, Kamat warned the men again. The same day around 3:30pm, when he was leaving from Powai area in his friend’s car, 10 to 12 men verbally abused him and attacked his vehicle with paver blocks and bamboo sticks near Tunga village, Powai. His friend accelerated the car and they managed to escape, police said.

When contacted, Paradkar said Kamat was making baseless allegations against him.

“I had spoken to him but never threatened him. I have nothing to do with any attack on him. He is trying to exploit my background for personal gain. I am ready to provide all details to the police if called for questioning,” he said.

Police booked 14 people on Thursday, five of them identified as Paradkar, Vikas, Mangesh, Musa, Samir Shaikh and nine others for assault, criminal intimidation and rioting under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. Ankit Goyal, deputy commissioner of police, zone 10, said “We have registered a case and further investigating the matter.”