A New Year’s Eve celebration turned into a nightmare for a Mumbai family, after a group of goons allegedly barged into the resort in Igatpuri near Nashik where the family was celebrating. The family ended up spending the entire night at the Igatpuri police station to get an FIR registered.
Gopal Putran, a Kandivali resident who runs Shagun Resort in Igatpuri, said he had taken his wife and two children to the resort on December 31. Some senior citizens and customers who had booked rooms at the resort were also present.
“We were all having a good time when a group of 10 to 15 men barged in and started dancing on the lawn, where some of the guests were already dancing. I asked my manager who the men were, and he told me they were local residents. I told him to get them to leave the premises within ten minutes, as it was inconveniencing the guests,” Mr. Putran said.
However, when the manager tried to make them leave, an argument broke out and one of them, identified as Dnyaneshwar Lahane, allegedly started abusing Mr Putran. “The argument escalated into a brawl, and Mr. Lahane and his friends manhandled me and others, including women,” he said.
The Igatpuri police were alerted, and Mr. Lahane and his friends were rounded up and taken to the police station along with Mr. Putran for further inquiries.
“We had intended to have a good beginning to the New Year, but instead ended up spending the night at the police station. We reached around 12:45 a.m. on January 1 and were there till 5 a.m. till all the formalities were complete,” said Mr. Putran.
The Igatpuri police subsequently booked Mr. Lahane and nine others for rioting, unlawful assembly, assault and damage to property under the Indian Penal Code and arrested them. Inspector Sanjay Shukla said, “All the accused were produced in court the next day and were granted bail.”
Mr. Putran said his own inquiries have revealed that Mr. Lahane is a local goon and had caused a similar ruckus at the resort around two years ago.
