A Shiv Sena leader, Vikas Repale, and several others were booked by the Thane police on Thursday for allegedly assaulting a group of Dalit individuals and preventing them from entering a temple during a meeting, an official from the Wagle Estate police station reported.
The incident occurred late Wednesday night during a meeting at the temple organized by Repale, a former corporator. According to the complainant, a 25-year-old Dalit student, Repale and his associates stopped him and others from entering the temple, questioning why they would come to a temple when they belonged to a different religion (Buddhism). Repale allegedly attempted to hit the complainant with a rod, while others threw slippers at them.
The group also allegedly threw stones at the complainant while he was on his way to the police station to register a case. Repale and the others have been booked under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, including charges of assault, unlawful assembly, provocation to cause rioting and other offences.
One of those booked is also accused of committing atrocities against a member of the complainant’s group, and he faces additional charges of molestation based on a complaint filed by a woman.
The police confirmed that no arrests have been made yet, and further investigation is ongoing. The two groups reportedly have a long-standing rivalry, and the incident may be linked to previous disputes.
Repale, who is known to be a close aide of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, denied his involvement, telling local news outlets that he was not present at the site during the incident.
