This Article is From Dec 02, 2012

Raj Thackeray's man slaps 65-year-old contractor over water supply

Mumbai: In a shocking incident in Maharashtra's Kalyan, a corporator from Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has been caught on camera repeatedly slapping a senior citizen over alleged delay in repairing a damaged water pipeline.

65-year-old DG Patil, had taken up a contract for repairing a water pipeline in Kalyan (East); he works as a private contractor with the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC).

According to reports, Nitin Nikam - the MNS corporator - summoned Mr Patil following complaints about delays in the water pipeline repair work in Kalyan's Ganeshwadi locality that caused water scarcity. Then, in full public view, apparently unhappy with the work done by Mr Patil, the MNS corporator assaulted the 65-year-old contractor.

"There's no water supply in Kalyan-East for the past four days, and the officials and the contractors were passing the buck between themselves. They do not understand decent words the message was delivered in our style, and we hope to have water tomorrow," said Mr Nikam, seemingly proud of his actions.

"There was a leakage in the pipeline. I had gone there to fix it but instead of talking to me started hitting me," said Mr Patil.

An engineer, who was supervising the repairs, was present when the incident took place.

"The work was getting delayed that is why Nitin Nikam got angry and he slapped one of the workers of the contractor. We are going to investigate into the matter and make sure the guilty is punished," said Ramnath Sonawane, Commisioner, Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation.

The police has yet to make an arrest even though Mr Patil has lodged a police complaint at the Bazaarpet police station in Kalyan. What's worse, the police filed a non-cognizable complaint.

Akhilesh Chaube, General Secretary, legal cell of the MNS, refuses to acknowledge the incident as assault. Speaking to NDTV, he said since the police also filed a non-cognizable complaint, it cannot be called a case of assault.

"We did not find any mistake from his (Nitin Nikam's) part. He was just doing the work of the people and that particular person who was working, that contractor himself was very arrogant," Mr Chaube told NDTV.
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