Four Shivsainiks get bail in assault of Retd Naval officer in Mumbai

Mumbai: Four Shiv Sainiks who were arrested by police for allegedly attacking a retired naval  officer  who forwarded a cartoon on Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, were on Saturday granted bail by a local court here.

Granting the bail, the court directed them to furnish a personal bond of Rs 15000 each.

The accused were identified as Kamlesh Kadam, Sanjay Shantaram Manjare, Rakesh  Belvekar  and Partap Motiramji Sood.

As per report, naval officer Madan Sharma (65), resident of Kandivali, had reportedly forwarded a cartoon showing Thackeray prostrating before pictures of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar, on a WhatsApp group of his society members.

The Shiv Sainiks, including  Shakha Pramukh Kamlesh Kadam, found these objectionable and stormed at Sharma's home in Kandivali East, said an official of Samata Nagar Police Station here.

The incident happened on Friday afternoon when a group of around 8-10 persons, all allegedly belonging to Shiv Sena, came and assaulted Sharma in his society compound.A CCTV clip of the society posted by local Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Atul Bhatkalkar shows the attackers chasing Sharma, dragging him by the collar, pulling his shirt and attacking with no intervention from the society security personnel.

However, Sharma managed to reach home soon and then went to the police station to lodged a complaint.The accused persons have been charged under 325,143,147,149 of Indian Penal Code including unlawful assembly and rioting, police said.(UNI)