Nagpur: BJP corporator Rupali Prashant Singh Thakur’s brother-in-law— Vikrant alias Vicky— and his friends brutally beat up a worker of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC)— Nilesh Kamal Hathibed— on duty. Protesting the incident, NMC workers went on strike and demanded Thakur’s resignation and immediate arrest of Vicky along with more stringent charges against him.
Following criticism from Congress corporators and NMC union, Thakur, corporator from Ward No 32, South Nagpur, distanced herself from Vicky and submitted a letter to the police demanding immediate action against her relative.
Hathibed is working as a driver with health department of NMC Hanuman Nagar Zone.
As per FIR registered at Hudkeshwar police station, 34-year-old Hathibed along with four workers took the NMC’s vehicle (MH-31/CB-712) to Sharda Chowk, Old Subedar layout in South Nagpur around 9.30pm on Monday. The workers were engaged in cleaning artificial idols immersion tanks installed in residential areas. Thakur, also chairman of Hanuman Nagar Zone, has installed one tank in front of her contact office in the square. The workers were loading remains of idols in the vehicle.
Vicky and his friends asked Hathibed to remove their vehicle from the place at around 9.45pm. Hathibed requested for some time as loading work was supposed to end soon. Vicky and his friends then allegedly pulled down Hathibed from driver’s seat and thrashed him.
Vicky along with his friends was reportedly part of procession of Lord Ganesh. Hathibed sustained serious injuries. Blood stains could be seen on artificial immersion tank even on Tuesday.
After learning of the incident, sanitary inspector Shekhar Telrande rushed to the spot. They then moved to zone office where another sanitary inspector Mangesh Raut also came. They took Hathibed to Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), then to Hudkeshwar police station for lodging complaint and admitted him at a private hospital where he is undergoing treatment.
On Tuesday, NMC drivers staged demonstration in front of NMC workshop on Great Nag road and announced a strike. Later, Class III and Class IV employees joined them.
President of Rashtriya Nagpur Corporation Employees Association Surendra Tingane along with union leader Rajesh Hathibed, Congress corporator Kamlesh Chaudhary and others met mayor Nanda Jichkar and demanded resignation of Thakur. They also met DCP Nilesh Bharne and demanded than an offence be registered under Atrocities Act against Vicky.
Another union led by Kishor Samundre also met the mayor and raised the same demands.
On unions’ demands, additional municipal commissioner Aziz Sheikh wrote to Hudkeshwar police demanding immediate arrest of the accused. But he did not mention Vicky by name. Tingane told TOI, strike will continue until all demands are met.
Ruling party leader Sandip Joshi said stringent action should be taken against whoever thrashed NMC worker. “No question of resignation of Thakur as she herself went to Hudkeshwar police and demanded action against the accused,” he said.
Opposition leader Tanaji Wanve demanded Thakur must resign on moral grounds. “Corporators work only with support from NMC workers. We can take action if they do wrong but nobody has right to beat them. BJP should disqualify Thakur if she does not resign. BJP disqualified Congress corporator Bunty Shelke who did no wrong. But it is defending mayor Nanda Jichkar and Thakur despite they having been caught on the wrong foot,” he said.
Couple of months ago, Thakur’s husband Prashant had allegedly manhandled leader of NMC Nuisance Detection Squad Sudhir Sudke for taking action against builder who had encroached upon the road. Later, Prashant reportedly pressured Sudke not to lodge police complaint.
Hudkeshwar police had not arrested Vicky till late Tuesday. An offence was registered against Vicky and others under sections 353, 333, 504 (34) of IPC.
IAN
Rupali Thakur’s Letter To Police
My brother-in-law beat up the NMC worker. Stringent action should be taken against my relative. Action should also be taken those trying to defame me
NMC union leaders’ reaction
Rupali or her husband did not visit Hathibed in hospital. They did not contact us. We are not aware whether they went to police station and submitted letter. It is not the first time from Rupali’s family. Earlier, her husband also manhandled NMC staffer
BJP Corporators In Controversy
* Mayor Nanda Jichkar recently took her son along on an official US tour describing him as her private secretary
* Shalik Kadu, husband of corporator Sonali, abused a resident Sachin Lonkar. Kadu said it was not the responsibility of corporator have garbage cleaned. He also said whether corporator should sleep on the road to prevent people from dumping garbage along roads
