Maharashtra: Tribal man verbally abused, beaten up by local BJP leader, three others in Palghar

A 57-year-old tribal man was allegedly beaten up and verbally abused by a local leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and three others in Maharashtra's Palghar district, police said on Tuesday, August 8.

The police on Monday, August 7, registered an FIR against Bharat Rajput, the newly appointed president of the BJP's Palghar district unit, and three others under sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 506 (2) (criminal intimidation) and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, an official said.

Rajput's brother Jagdish, one Vishal Nandalskar and Rajesh Thakur are the other accused named in the FIR, he said.

According to the police, the complainant is a resident of Navapada village and belonged to the Adivasi-Warli community.

On August 4, a local organisation called on the complainant, who is a farmer and social worker, inviting him to put forth issues relating to roads and water in the village, and he accompanied them, the official said.

The man later received a phone call from Rajput asking him to meet him at his office, and when he arrived at the premises, the BJP leader was allegedly furious at him for accompanying people from the other organisation, he said.

Rajput and the other accused allegedly verbally abused the complainant, used casteist slurs against him and beat him up. They also warned him of dire consequences, the official said.