Mumbai road rage: 10 held for MNS worker’s lynching in front of family

Ten people have been arrested for allegedly assaulting and killing a Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) worker in Mumbai's Malad East area in front of his parents and his wife on Saturday evening (October 12), a police official said on Monday (October 14).

Akash Maeen (27) was assaulted by a group of persons who gathered in support of an autorickshaw driver with whom he had an altercation at Shivaji Chowk, a Dindoshi police station official told the media.

Akash and his wife were on his scooter returning to his parents’ home from a car showroom where they had gone to book a new car on Dussehra when an autorickshaw driver nearby abruptly turned his vehicle. The argument between Akash and the autorickshaw driver, identified as Avinash Kadam, quickly escalated, and the rickshaw driver's friends and some local vendors gathered at the spot.

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Akash’s parents were travelling ahead in an auto. His wife called up Akash’s mother, Deepali, an MNS party functionary, to inform her about what was happening. Deepali and her husband Dattatreya turned back immediately.

Deepali said the auto driver made calls on his mobile phone and gathered a group of about 10 to 15 people. Akash’s parents and his wife tried to defuse the tension and calm everyone down. Akash even got back on his scooter. But the mob pulled him down and attacked him. He was severely punched and kicked.

Mother threw herself on her son to protect him

Deepali, in tears, said when her son fell to the ground, she threw herself on him to protect him from the blows. But the mob continued to hit her and her son. Some of them even hit her husband, Dattatreya. She said some of the accused seemed to be drunk and were discussing whether they should bring swords to attack her son.

The mother said a crowd of bystanders were watching what was happening and even taking videos, but nobody ventured to help them.

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A video of the assault went viral on social media, showing the mob attacking Akash while his mother tried to shield him from the blows and his father pleaded with the mob to stop.

Dattatreya managed to call up the police emergency number, and a police jeep arrived and they apprehended a couple of the attackers while the rest of them fled the scene.

Trauma hospital’s negligence

Akash was rushed to a nearby trauma care hospital, where Deepali said nothing was done for hours while her son lay on a stretcher.

“I begged the doctor for immediate treatment, but they were focused on paperwork.”

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It was only when a senior MNS functionary went to the hospital and spoke to the management that Akash was attended to. He, however, succumbed to his injuries around midnight.

“The trauma hospital is responsible for my son’s death due to their negligence,” Deepali told Mid-day. “They wasted precious time. I urge the government to punish the attackers and hold the hospital staff accountable.”

Police arrest 10 based on CCTV footage

"Maeen was kicked and punched, leaving him with serious injuries. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he died. Based on CCTV footage, we held six persons on Sunday, three on Monday, and one on Tuesday. They have been charged under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for murder and other offences," the official said.

The police have arrested ten people, including the autorickshaw driver and a bank employee, for the attack, he said. A local court remanded them to police custody till October 22.

(With agency inputs)