Cop assault: 2nd witness identified

The Mumbai police, investigating the alleged assault on police sub-inspector Sachin Suryavanshi by a group of MLAs in the Vidhan Bhavan premises on March 18, may have identified a second witness to the attack, sources in the crime branch told HT.

The Mumbai police, investigating the alleged assault on police sub-inspector Sachin Suryavanshi by a group of MLAs in the Vidhan Bhavan premises on March 18, may have identified a second witness to the attack, sources in the crime branch told HT.

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According to sources, the identification of the second witness was carried out with the help of an informant. The police are trying to trace the witness to record his statement.

Sources claimed that the witness, believed to be a Vidhan Bhavan staff member or a police constable in plain clothes, was present at the time the assault took place. However, he did not volunteer to come forward and help in the investigation.

Crime branch officers have already recorded the statement of Suryavanshi’s senior, who had accompanied him to the Vidhan Bhavan, sources said.

Suryavanshi, who works with the traffic police, had been summoned by the speaker of the house to explain the breach of privilege allegation made by independent MLA Kshitij Thakur.

However, when he was leaving, Thakur and MNS legislator Ram Kadam allegedly accosted Suryavanshi and assaulted him while 14 more MLAs joined them.

While Thakur and Kadam were arrested, the other MLAs are still to be identified by the crime branch. The CCTV footage from the Vidhan Bhavan, which could have helped in the investigation, was allegedly found to be of no use.