The Maharashtra government employee accused of attacking a Marathi-speaking family at Kalyan in Thane district surrendered before police on Friday, a senior officer said.

Akhilesh Shukla (48), an employee of the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC), his wife Geeta (45) and others have been named in an FIR related to the alleged attack on the family, their neighbour, on December 18 after an argument.

Akhilesh Shukla surrendered before the Khadakpada police, senior inspector Aamarnath Waghmode said.

“We will trace the other accused,” said the police.

Meanwhile, before surrendering, Shukla posted a video on social media in which he claimed his wife was beaten up by family members of the victims.

The police have registered a case against Shukla and his wife Geeta (45) under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 74 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 115 (voluntarily causing hurt), 351(3) (criminal intimidation), 189 (2) (3) and (5) (unlawful assembly) and others.

According to police, the attack took place around 8.45 pm on December 18, and the accused as well as the victims live on the same floor of a building in Kalyan.

As per the FIR, the victim saw Shukla quarrelling with one of their neighbours over lighting of an incense stick. The victim asked Shukla to maintain peace and not to abuse and insult the entire Marathi-speaking community.

The accused couple got angry on hearing this and beat up the victim and his wife with the help of eight to ten others. They attacked the male victim using some sharp weapon, iron rod, pipes and wooden sticks, and inflicted wounds on his arms, legs and face. The accused also molested his wife and threatened the couple, it added.

Thane: A shocking incident has come to light from the upscale Ajmera Heights society in Kalyan’s Yogidham area, where Akhilesh Shukla, an account manager at MTDC, allegedly called goons to attack a family over a minor dispute. The violent confrontation left three individuals injured, with one currently receiving treatment at Mumbai’s Sion Hospital.

Abhijit Deshmukh, a resident of Ajmera Heights society sustained severe injuries in the assault, including multiple wounds requiring 10 to 12 stitches and was rushed to Sion Hospital for treatment. Reports suggested that the attackers also abused and assaulted other residents, including women, who tried to intervene. Videos of the heated altercation have gone viral on the internet.

Details On The Incident

The conflict began when Shukla’s wife, Geeta, performed daily worship rituals outside their house, lighting incense sticks. The smoke from these sticks reportedly drifted into the home of their neighbours, Varsha and Vijay Kalvikatte, causing health issues for their three-year-old child and elderly mother, both of whom suffer from breathing problems, as reported by Pune Pulse. The situation led to frequent arguments between Geeta and Varsha.

During one such argument, nearby residents Abhijit Deshmukh and his brother, Dheeraj, stepped in to mediate and resolve the issue. However, their efforts enraged Shukla, who allegedly retaliated by summoning 10 to 15 men. These men, armed with iron rods, brutally attacked the Deshmukh brothers.

Attackers Called Marathi ‘Beggars’

Vijay Kalvikatte, a resident of the same society, recounted the horrifying ordeal to the media. “I was in my house when I saw Shukla pointing out Abhijit’s room to a group of men. They picked up a bicycle and started banging it against his door. When I went to check, seven to eight men began beating Abhijit with an iron rod. I was also attacked and pushed aside. Women who tried to intervene were beaten too. The attackers hurled abuses at Marathi people, calling them beggars and fish eaters,” he said.

Shukla, reportedly a controversial figure in the society, has been accused of troubling several Marathi residents. In a previous incident, he allegedly assaulted a Marathi family, saying, “You Marathi people are dirty; you smell. You are fish eaters.” His neighbours also alleged that he misused his government job powers and threatened them by showing off his influence at the CMO. Gupta also installed a beacon on his personal car’s dashboard, said his neighbours.

Shukla’s neighbours also alleged that he had his goons stationed outside the police station to stop them from filing an FIR. More details on the matter are awaited.

Akhilesh Shukla suspended

Taking cognisance of the matter, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis announced in the Maharashtra assembly that Akhilesh Shukla has been suspended from his service and an FIR has been registered against him and other accused. Fadnavis even showed a copy of the FIR filed against Shukla.

“Let there be no doubt in anyone’s mind. Mumbai and Maharashtra belonged to Mumbai, it still does and it will,” said Fadnavis amid the applause from the members of the house.

In an apparent reference to unfied Shiv Sena under Uddhav Thackeray, Fadnavis said it was important to know who was responsible for Marathi population migrating out of Mumbai after the construction boom in last few decades. Fadnavis did not name anyone.

MNS Demands Legal Action Against Shukla

Ulhas Bhoir, the Kalyan district president of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, has warned that legal action should be taken against a man named Shukla, who abused and beat Marathi people in a building in Kalyan, Thane district, over a minor dispute, otherwise, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena will take to the streets.

“The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena will straighten out Shukla, who abused a Marathi person in Maharashtra, but the Marathi people should also wake up now and from now on, just as the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena stands behind the Marathi people, the Marathi people should also stand behind the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena,” said Bhoir.

Nagpur, Dec 19: The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra took out a vociferous protest march here on Thursday to condemn and demand an apology from Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his remarks on B.R. Ambedkar in the Parliament.

The MVA constituents, Congress-Shiv Sena (UBT)-Nationalist Congress Party (SP) leaders gathered and joined the long procession from the Constitution Square to the Legislature Building.

They were carrying banners, placards, pictures of B.R. Ambedkar, some sporting copies of the Indian Statute, and raised angry slogans against HM Shah and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Sporting dark blue caps, bands or shawls with the words ‘Jai Bhim’ printed, the top MVA leaders including SS (UBT)’s Leader of Opposition (Council) Ambadas Danve, SS (UBT) Group Leader Aditya Thackeray, Congress’ ex-Leader of Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar, NCP (SP)’s state chief Jayant R. Patil, Rohit R. Pawar and other leaders, plus Opposition legislators squarely hit out at HM Shah’s remarks and ranted cries for his apology.

The MVA leaders hailed the virtues of B.R. Ambedkar for giving India a Constitution that has equal rights to all the citizens, uplifted the poor and downtrodden, acknowledged his contributions for the depressed classes and hailed his services to the nation, while vowing that “the country will never tolerate any insults” to him.

Simultaneously, B.R. Ambedkar’s grandson, Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) also organised separate agitations in Pune and other places to flay HM Shah.

SS (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray and other leaders have urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to sack HM Shah from the Cabinet.

Earlier, the participants bowed, garlanded and saluted a life-size statue of B.R. Ambedkar, paid homage and then launched the march which terminated outside the Vidhan Bhavan where the Winter Session is currently underway and continued to raise slogans against the ruling BJP.

It may be recalled that a couple of days ago, HM Shah had made certain remarks pertaining to B.R. Ambedkar which the Opposition termed as ‘disrespectful’, and went on to spark an outrage in the state and different parts of the country.

However, HM Shah has claimed that his statement was twisted out of context and he turned around to blame the Congress terming it as ‘anti-Ambedkar’ and against the Dalits.