MNS corporators arrested for shaming BMC official, had forced him to take responsibility of potholes

MNS corporators Sandeep Deshpande and Santosh Dhuri, who had shamed a top civic official earlier this week, surrendered before the police on Saturday evening.

Sanjay Darade, chief engineer of the BMC’s Roads Department, had filed an FIR against the two on Thursday. Pramajit Dahiya, Zonal Deputy Police Commissioner, confirmed their arrest.

The corporators were sent to the central lock up of Mahim police station and will be produced before a special holiday court today.

MNS workers, along with corporators Deshpande and Dhuri, had gone to meet Darade at his Worli office on Wednesday. They called Darade out to Dadar under the pretense of showing him potholes.

However, once Darade reached the spot between Sena Bhawan and Plaza Theater in Dadar, he was made to wear a placard that read (in Marathi), “I, the chief engineer of roads department, am responsible for potholes in the city. Citizens take note of this”.

After the incident, Darade filed a complaint with Shivaji Park police station, but no FIR was registered.

The next day, thousands of BMC engineers and other workers took to the street and demanded action against the MNS leaders. Around 1.5 lakh BMC employees also threatened to go on an indefinite strike if no action was taken against the accused.

Near thousand employees even handed in their resignations. BMC chief Ajoy Mehta did not accept the resignations, but assured the civic employees that he would escalate the issue to Mumbai Police Commissioner, D D Padsalgikar.

Following which, Shivaji Park police station booked the corporators under Sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

On Friday, the police had gone to their houses to arrest them, but the two were found missing. The duo surrendered to the police on Saturday.