Ex-serviceman beaten up for taking penal action against youths without facemasks; Politicians refrains from taking action in Gulmandi area

Aurangabad, March 2:

Shiv Sena-BJP political activists beat an ex-serviceman of Nagari Mitra Pathak (NMP) mercilessly on Monday evening and refrained him from visiting the Gulmandi area, hereafter.

Incidentally, the anti-encroachment squad and town planning officials of Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) reached Gulmandi and demolished all the illegally encroachments built upon raised plinths since today morning.

It is learnt that the NMP squad was taking action against citizens moving without the mask on Monday evening. They collected fine from two students, who were crying and begging not to take action. Meanwhile, a former corporator Surendra Kulkarni intervened. He, along with his activists, beat NMP personnel, saying not to visit the Gulmandi area, hereafter. Later on, Sena's former MLA Kishanchand Tanwani reached the spot. The case in this regard was registered late in the night at Kranti Chowk police station.

Today morning, the civic administration sent the officials for taking action. As per the marking of the Town Planning officials, the anti-encroachment squad demolished all the raised chabutras (plinths) built in front of the shops, situated on the road from Barabhai Taziya to Kumbharwada Corner. The squad also removed more than 50 big and small encroachments on the road between Kumbharwada and Aurangpura police chowky. The tin sheds built upon chabutras were seized. The action was taken by designated officer Vasant Bhoye, building inspectors Syed Jamsheed, Mazhar Ali and P B Gaoli.

Manhandling is unlawful

The AMC administrator Astik Kumar Pandey said, " There is the rule of law in Maharashtra. No one has the right to take the law into their hands. If there is a complaint against an ex-serviceman, it should have been filed properly. The civic administration would have probed the matter and take action against a person guilty. We had strictly ordered the ex-servicemen to behave properly with the citizens. Meanwhile, I am not aware of what action is being taken at Gulmandi."

AMC is taking revenge

The demolition of raised plinths is underway since today morning. The AMC administration's action is done with the mindset of taking revenge. There is no reason to implement the demolition drive. The encroachments exist everywhere in the city; therefore, the AMC should take action everywhere. Why had it selected Gulmandi for action? When will the AMC start the road works? There is a long pending demand to widen the roads of this area, but the administration is ignoring it intentionally, claimed Tanwani.