Case Against Shiv Sena Woman Corporator For Assaulting Man Over Facebook Comment

Police on Tuesday registered a case against a woman Shiv Sena corporator at Nalasopara in Maharashtra's Palghar district, and arrested her two associates for allegedly assaulting a man over his comment on a social media platform, officials said.

The case against Hemlata Singh, a corporator of the Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC), was registered at the Tulinj police station.

Hemlata Singh represents ward number 18 in Nalasopara.

The incident occurred over an objectionable comment posted on Facebook by the victim, identified as Dharmendra Vishwakarma, police said.

In his complaint, Vishwakarma said he was called at a hotel by a man named Arjun Dubey.

When Vishwakarma arrived at the spot, corporator Hemlata Singh along with her associate Amrish confronted him. They pushed and slapped him, and beat him up with bamboo sticks, the FIR said.

It also alleged that during the assault, the victim's gold chain was snatched and his smartphone valued around Rs 20,000 was stolen.

Police registered cases in connection with the incident, including a cross-FIR, and arrested Vishwakarma and one Manish Singh, an associate of the corporator.

Hemlata Singh and other key suspects are currently on the run, while police carry out further investigation into the matter, the police said.

The incident occurred days after a group of people attacked staff at a private hospital in Palghar over the treatment of an injured 'Govinda', who had participated in the Dahi Handi celebrations. Shiv Sena Palghar city chief Rahul Gharat was arrested in connection with the incident that took place during the intervening night of September 5 and 6.

Another 14 persons were arrested on Friday, including Shiv Sena MLA Rajendra Gavit's son Rohit.

On July 6, Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre from the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) in Thane district and his associates allegedly assaulted doctors and other staff at the Shastri Nagar Hospital in Dombivli over purported delay in the treatment of a patient.

Mhatre and the four others were charged under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for assault, causing hurt, unlawful assembly, rioting, criminal intimidation, intentional insult, outraging the modesty of a woman, and obstructing public servants from performing their duties.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)