Shiv Sena candidates booked for assaulting group of men in Airoli

NAVI MUMBAI: Two Shiv Sena leaders from deputy CM Eknath Shinde’s faction, both contesting the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) elections, were booked for assaulting and threatening a group of men in Airoli. The police said that along with the two candidates, they also booked their son, and 10 to 12 unidentified people involved in Wednesday’s brawl.

According to the Rabale police, the two candidates have been identified as Manohar Madhavi, 57, and Vinaya Madhavi, 51, the former contesting from ward 4D of Airoli and the latter from ward 5D. Their 31-year-old son, Karan Madhavi has also been booked. The police said that the incident occurred around 4am on Wednesday outside the office of a construction firm located near a Shiv Sena shakha in Sector 16 of Airoli.

The complainant, Sunil Nanasaheb Kedar, 32, a construction businessman, told the police that he and his colleagues, Jayesh Jayant Kasar, Prabham Waghmare, Hussain Sheikh, Swapnil Bhaleghare, Pawan Sarate, Akshay Ghule were playing carrom outside the office when a couple of four-wheelers arrived at the spot.

As per the complaint, the accused allegedly abused the group, threatened them, made derogatory remarks about political leaders, and ordered them to leave the area. “The situation escalated when Karan Madhavi and a few others allegedly slapped Kedar and his colleague Jayesh Kasar, while continuing to verbally abuse and intimidate them,” said a police officer.

The complainant further alleged that the accused were travelling through several areas of Airoli to influence voters and create fear during the election period, thereby disturbing social harmony.

According to the FIR, the Madhavi family was served a notice under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). Based on the complaint the accused have also been booked under several relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and sections of the Maharashtra Police Act and the Criminal Law Amendment Act.