Mira Bhayandar: Troubles seem to be mounting for independent legislator Geeta Jain, who slapped junior engineer Shubham Patil attached to ward number six of the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) in Kashimira on Tuesday. In a late-night development on Tuesday, Shubham Patil and his colleague Sanjay Soni, who were also present at the time of the incident, have jointly written a letter to the Kashimira police station seeking action against the legislator.
Meanwhile, volunteers of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have also demanded that an FIR be registered against Jain for assaulting an on-duty civic official. "We have received a complaint application from the engineers, and investigations are ongoing," said Senior Police Inspector Sandip Kadam."
Slapgate incident
The incident was reported from the Penkarpada area of Kashimira, where MBMC’s anti-encroachment squad led by Patil had gone to demolish a tenement. The engineer and his team allegedly forcibly pulled out the occupants including a six-month-old toddler and elderly people on June 16 when it was raining. Irate over learning about the autocratic and inhuman behaviour shown by the MBMC team, Jain went to the spot and questioned the concerned engineer and his colleague identified as Soni, while reminding them about a government resolution (GR) which disallows the civic body to demolish any type of residential structures during the monsoons. Jain claimed that while the family members living in the tenement were crying, the engineer was shamelessly laughing which she could not tolerate and slapped him. The entire sequence of events was captured on camera and the video went viral on social media platforms.
Dy CM comments on incident
Responding to questions posed by media persons on the issue, deputy chief minister- Devender Fadnavis said that sometimes tempers run high, but elected representatives are supposed to keep their anger in control and maintain dignity by following rules mandated under the law.
Notably, Shubham Patil works as a junior engineer on a contractual basis through a private agency hired by the civic administration. It has been alleged that Shubham Patil and his team intended to demolish the entire structure on the behest of another builder who also owns a piece of land in the same layout.
Punishment under section 353
Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty invites action under section 353 of the IPC- which is a non-bailable offence having punishment of imprisonment up to five years in Maharashtra. Matters under these sections will be triable by the sessions court. Shubham Patil works on a contractual basis through a private agency hired by the civic administration.
