Angry with demolition, BMC corporator slaps civic official
In yet another incident of attack on civic officials, a Congress corporator allegedly thrashed a civic junior engineer for taking action against illegal constructions. A complaint has been filed against the corporator in this matter with the MHB police, Borivali.
According to civic sources, the BMC had undertaken the demolition of an unauthorised public toilet in Dahisar, to which Congress corporator Sheetal Mhatre had objected. However, as the officials continued with the demolition, she got furious and allegedly slapped civic junior engineer Anand Nerurkar for razing the structure and threatened him with dire consequences.
Additional municipal commissioner Aseem Gupta said, “I don’t have all the details about the incident, but attacking a public servant while he is on duty is a criminal offence. I have directed the concerned civic officials to lodge a police complaint.”
Assistant municipal commissioner Vijay Kamble confirmed that the junior engineer was assaulted by the corporator. “If Ms Mhatre had any grievance about the BMC’s action, she should have intimated the higher authorities. We have filed a complaint against her,” he said.
Despite repeated attempts, Ms Mhatre, who has been elected from Ketkipada-Shailendra Nagar ward, refused to speak about the incident. “I will make my position clear on Wednesday,” she said.
Sainath Rajadhyaksha, general secretary of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Engineers Union (BMEU), condemned the attack. He said, “This is the third such incident in one month. Two years ago, we had written to the chief minister to make attacks on civic officials a non-bailable offence, but no decision has been taken.”
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