Lonavala police book 13 youths for assaulting trekkers

The local police also acted against the organisers of the celebration after it was found that no requisite permission was taken from the authorities.

The Lonavala police have booked 13 people for allegedly assaulting trekkers from Pune and Mumbai, who had gone to Visapur Fort for a camp on December 31. Some of the victims were forced to remove their clothes, police said. The police have also lodged a case against the organisers of the camp after a complaint was filed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which is responsible for maintaining historical sites, including Visapur Fort.

The accused group, comprising seven men and six women, objected to trekkers organising a camp at the Fort, saying it was creating a nuisance in the area and was disturbing the sanctity of the region. (HT file photo)

According to Vinayak Dhakane, inspector, Lonavala rural police station, a group of trekkers had come to Visapur Fort as part of a camp group on the evening of December 31, when a group of 13 local youths claiming to be “fort lovers” accosted the group. The accused group, comprising seven men and six women, objected to trekkers organising a camp at the Fort, saying it was creating a nuisance in the area and was disturbing the sanctity of the region.

“They came and shouted at us. They even assaulted us and forced a few men to remove their clothes,” said Shalini Jhala, a trekker. According to Shalini, she went for camp along with her husband and some of their friends. “We went there by making bookings through the Internet, after coming across an advertisement about the camp at Visapur Fort.”

According to the victims, the local youths forced them to shout slogans about Chhatrapati Shivaji. The local police also acted against the organisers of the celebration after it was found that no requisite permission was taken from the authorities.