The Thane civic administration has condemned the attack on a woman assistant municipal commissioner (AMC), who lost three of her fingers and received head injuries when a hawker stabbed her with a knife during an anti-encroachment drive here in Maharashtra.
While Kalpita Pimple, the AMC of Majiwada-Manpada area, was overseeing the removal of hawkers at Kasarvadavali junction in the city on Monday, a hawker attacked her with a knife.
Pimple lost three of her fingers and received severe head injuries in the attack. Her security guard also lost one of his fingers while trying to save her, a police official said.
According to eyewitnesses, the accused, identified as Amar Yadav, later threatened to commit suicide but was caught by police.
A video showing the accused shouting and wielding the knife went viral on social media.
The Kasarwadavali police arrested Yadav and booked him under various Indian Penal Code Sections, including 307 (attempt to murder) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of duty), the official said.
Pimple was rushed to a private hospital where she underwent a surgery to reattach her fingers and was also provided medical treatment for her head injuries, a civic official said.
Mayor Naresh Mhaske later expressed concern over the attack on the civic official and told reporters that such incidents would not discourage the civic body and the drive against encroachments in the city would be intensified.
He also said that the civic body will bear the cost of treatment of the injured official and her security guard.
Other civic officials also condemned the attack on Pimple.
Thane Guardian Minister Eknath Shinde visited the hospital around Monday midnight to enquire about Pimple's health.
Shinde said he had spoken to Thane Police Commissioner Jai Jeet Singh and asked the police to take stringent action in the case.
Thane Municipal Commissioner Dr Vipin Sharma said additional security force will be deployed during such anti-encroachment drives in future.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena's (MNS) Thane-Palghar units head Avinash Jadhav also condemned the attack on the woman civic official and demanded strict action against the accused.
