BJP worker booked for outraging woman's modesty at temple in Thane

The police have registered two cases against a BJP worker for allegedly outraging the modesty of a woman and passing casteist remarks at a temple in Maharashtra's Thane city, an official said on Friday, 6 September.

The police on Thursday registered first information reports (FIRs) against BJP worker Vijay Tripathi and some other accused based on complaints lodged by a woman and a man, the official said.

The incidents occurred during a meeting convened by local leaders at a temple to review preparations for the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, he said.

A case has been registered against Tripathi and three others under sections 74 (assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 298 (injuring or defiling a place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class) and other relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the official said.

As per the complaint, the accused allegedly entered a temple with footwear to attend a meeting for the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations on Wednesday night, and when a woman objected to this, they touched her inappropriately, he said.

Tripathi was also named in an FIR registered for allegedly verbally abusing a man and passing remarks about his caste during the meeting called by Vikas Repale, a former corporator, the official said.

A case under sections 115 (2) (voluntarily causing hurt) and 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the BNS and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 was registered against Tripathi and two others, he said.

The police had earlier registered a case against former corporator and Shiv Sena leader Vikas Repale over an attack on a 25-year-old Dalit man after the meeting at the temple.

Talking to the media, Repale claimed he was not present at the spot, and his name was dragged into the matter due to an old rivalry.