MNS workers rough up hawkers, store owners in Mumbai

Mumbai, April 29: A group of people allegedly attacked hawkers and vandalised their stalls in suburban Jogeshwari here, police said today.

According to police, the incident took place last evening in Jogeshwari East where the hawkers were allegedly beaten up and threatened to leave the spot.

Four persons--Priyesh Jaisawal, Navnath Kadam, Sohan Sahu and Lahu--were booked for beating, rioting and intimidating the hawkers following the incident, police said.

A case has been registered under sections 143 (punishment), 145 (joining or continuing in unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of IPC against the absconding accused and searches have been intensified to nab them, they said.

"All the accused have switched off their mobile phones and are at large. But we hope to track down and nab them soon," said a police officer attached with Jogeshwari police station, where the case has been registered.

"We have learnt that out of the four accused, there are few cases against two of them, which we are in process of ascertaining," added the official.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner of Zone 10, Vinayak Deshmukh visited the area and took stock of the situation.

He, however denied reports that the attackers belonged to the MNS.

"The accused have no backing from any party and rumours that MNS workers beat North Indians are baseless as out of four accused, two are North Indians," he told PTI.

Earlier, few reports had suggested that MNS workers beat hawkers in suburban Mumbai claiming that they were operating there as 'outsiders', causing inconvenience to Mumbaikars.

PTI