Mumbai: The Rabale MIDC police have nabbed seven more people for assaulting a journalist and cameraman during the eviction drive at Digha on Tuesday, taking the number of people arrested in the case to 10.
On Saturday, Avdesh Kanojia (38) was arrested and taken to court, while Shivaji Prabhakar Konde (29), Nitin Tukaram Dhadve (37), Dinesh Mohan Kadmur (30), Rohan Manohar Pawar (18), Kamlesh Krishna Talkar (21) and Abhijit Anant Patiyan (25), all residents of Ishwarnagar in Digha, were arrested on Thursday and Friday and remanded in police custody till March 6.
On Wednesday, Manish Mangesh Bhagne (28), Allauddeen Sameer Ansari (47) and Narayan Shivram Ghuge (45) were arrested and remanded in police custody till March 4. The police are also investigating if there is any political angle to the attack. “All the accused are locals of Digha doing small-scale jobs. We are also investigating if there is any political link in the case. There was a mob of around 25 to 30 people who attacked the [journalist and cameraman] and we are hunting for the rest of the accused,” Senior Police Inspector Chandrakant Katkar from Rabale MIDC police station said.
Journalist Swati Naik and cameraman Sandeep Bharati from Zee 24 Taas news channel were attacked by a mob of of residents around 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday during the drive to evict residents from illegal constructions built on CIDCO land at Digha in Airoli. CIDCO officials, Rabale MIDC police and the court receiver were present for the eviction drive, which was being carried out as per the orders of the High Court.
The accused have been arrested under Sections 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapon), 354 (outraging woman’s modesty), 452 (house trespass after preparation for hurt), 141 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.
