Two days after Wadala resident Hiramani Tiwari was roughed up and his head tonsured over a Facebook post, the Wadala TT police on Wednesday registered a first information report (FIR) against local Shiv Sena leader Samadhan Jugdar.
ADVERTISEMENT
The move comes a day after BJP leaders like Kirit Somaiya and Tamil Selvan intervened in the matter, demanding stricter action than the non-cognisable complaint (NC) registered earlier.
Mr. Jugdar, the local shakha pramukh from the Wadala TT area and some others had allegedly shaved Mr. Tiwari’s head on Sunday in reaction to a Facebook post by him referring to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in derogatory terms.
The matter was first resolved peacefully on Monday, after both parties said they did not wish to register complaints against each other and the Wadala TT police issued notices to both of them under the Code of Criminal Procedure.
ADVERTISEMENT
Later on Monday, Mr. Tiwari submitted a second complaint after the video of his head being shaved was shared on social media platforms. Mr. Tiwari said in his second complaint that it put him and his family at risk, and met senior police officers from the area, but the police had at the time only registered an NC.
On Tuesday, Captain Tamil Selvan, MLA from Sion Koliwada, and Mr. Somaiya had demanded stricter action against Mr. Jugdar and the others involved. On Wednesday evening, the Wadala TT police booked Mr. Jugdar and three others for unlawful assembly, rioting, assault, intentional insult to provoke breach of peace and criminal intimidation under the Indian Penal Code.
Mumbai Police spokesperson Deputy Commissioner of Police Pranaya Ashok confirmed that the FIR had been registered and that further enquiries were under way.
Mr. Tiwari, who works in the private sector, had put up a post about Mr. Thackeray’s statements likening the recent police action against protesting students to the pre-Independence Jalianwala Bagh massacre.
The statement had angered local Shiv Sainiks, who gathered outside his house and forced him to come out, after which Mr. Jugdar shaved Mr. Tiwari’s head in full public view using an electronic shaver.
The video of the incident, allegedly recorded and posted by Mr. Jugdar, was shared on multiple social media platforms, along with a screenshot of Mr. Tiwari’s post, attracting outrage.
Mr. Somaiya met Mr. Tiwari at his residence on Tuesday while Mr. Selvan met Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, demanding strong action against the culprits.
In a Twitter post on Tuesday, Mr. Thackeray’s son Aaditya, who heads the Yuva Sena, had said, “Law and order is a police subject and should not be taken in anyone’s hands (sic)… giving them (trolls) an answer shouldn’t be our job.”
He, however, did not criticise the actions of the Shiv Sainiks involved and instead said, “I understand that the reaction was because the remarks angered them. I understand the anger we all have when we read unnecessary non-civil remarks made against leaders, communities, women. And these people are followed by some major leaders in the country. I say, let’s follow our CM. Calm, composed, aggressive about delivering promises and serving people.”