Thane: Police have registered a case against a man and three others for allegedly assaulting a 20-year-old student in Navi Mumbai's Vashi area with a hockey stick after the latter asked him to speak in Marathi, officials said.
The incident occurred around 10.30 am on Tuesday outside a college in Vashi.
The victim, a resident of Pawane village in Airoli, filed a complaint in this connection.
"The altercation began when one of the accused, identified as Faizan Naik, objected to being spoken to in Marathi. A verbal exchange escalated, following which Naik and three others attacked the complainant," an official of Vashi police station said.

"The prime accused struck the victim on the head with a hockey stick, causing severe injuries. The others joined in by kicking and punching him repeatedly. They also threatened him with dire consequences. The victim was left bleeding at the scene," he said.
The case was registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 118 (1) (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 351(2) and 351(3) (criminal intimidation), section 3(5) (common intention) and others.

"We are taking the matter seriously and ensuring that those responsible are brought to justice. The victim has been medically examined and his statement recorded. The accused will be arrested soon," the official said.
(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)