Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Sandeep Deshpande was arrested by the Shivaji Park police for allegedly manhandling and abusing a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official on Friday. According to police, Deshpande attacked a civic official who took down unauthorised political flags and Diwali decorations put up by the party at the ground.
In the recently concluded Maharashtra Assembly elections, Deshpande had contested the Mahim seat, but lost to Shiv Sena’s Sadanand Sarvankar.
The police filed a first information report (FIR) against Deshpande after a written complaint by Kiran Dighavkar, BMC assistant commissioner of G North ward. Deshpande used foul language with the civic official over a phone call as well as in person, alleged Dighavkar. G North ward covers areas of Mahim, Dadar, and Shivaji Park.
“When my ward’s staff began to pull down unauthorised political banners and Diwali decorations at Shivaji Park, I first received a phone call from Sandeep Deshpande, who raised his voice and threatened me. He demanded we stop pulling down MNS’ banners and decorations,” Dighavkar told Hindustan Times.
Following this, Deshpande arrived at the spot with eight-nine party workers around 11.30am and he continued to threaten and abuse the staff, said Dighavkar. The party workers also stormed the G North ward office at Dadar around 1pm. They pushed the security guard at the entrance, went to Dighavkar’s office, and had a verbal altercation with the civic officials.
{{/usCountry}}Following this, Deshpande arrived at the spot with eight-nine party workers around 11.30am and he continued to threaten and abuse the staff, said Dighavkar. The party workers also stormed the G North ward office at Dadar around 1pm. They pushed the security guard at the entrance, went to Dighavkar’s office, and had a verbal altercation with the civic officials.
{{/usCountry}}Before his arrest, Deshpande told HT, “We were a group of three to four people who went to Shivaji Park when the work was going on. We did not stop him [civic official] from doing his duty. We were trying to get him to do it. There are a lot of illegalities in this ward, and the ward officer selectively takes action.”
Deshpande claimed the ward staff removed only MNS banners and decorations, and not Shiv Sena’s.
The police booked Deshpande and three others under sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 142 (unlawful assembly), among others, of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
“Deshpande and three others were sent to judicial custody till October 14,” said Mumbai Police spokesperson Pranay Ashok.