Maha: Two civic engineers file complaint of assault against MLA Geeta Jain

PTI, Jun 21, 2023, 6:09 PM IST

Image credit: Twitter / video screengrab

Two engineers of the Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation near Mumbai on Wednesday submitted a complaint to police against local MLA Geeta Jain, accusing her of assaulting them and obstructing the performance of official duty.

A video of Jain, an independent MLA, slapping junior engineer Shubham Patil and abusing him and his colleague Sanjay Soni in full public view on Tuesday for allegedly undertaking the demolition of an illegal shanty had gone viral.

In the complaint filed with Kashimira police, the two engineers said contrary to her allegation that the house was pulled down ahead of monsoon, no demolition has taken place yet.

The officials had planned to pull down the illegal shanty of Rajiv Kumar Singh in Penkar Pada area of Pandurang Wadi on June 14, but no action was taken following a phone call from MLA Jain, the complaint said. On June 20, the MLA had asked Assistant Commissioner Sachin Bacchav to come for a site visit, and as he was busy he deputed the two engineers, it said.

The MLA, however, picked a quarrel with them, manhandled them and also slapped Patil, the complaint said, seeking action against her.

Singh’s house had not been demolished, the complaint said, alleging that he and his mother were allotted alternative houses in 2018 which they rented out and were living in the illegal shanty. No First Information Report has been registered in the case so far, police said.

The MLA, who is an independent legislator supporting the ruling Shiv Sena-BJP alliance in Maharashtra, had told a news channel on Tuesday evening that she did not regret her action.

In a letter written to the municipal commissioner, Jain demanded suspension of the two civic engineers, accusing them of pulling down Singh’s house and throwing his children and wife out of the house on June 16.

They violated the government direction that such demolitions should not be undertaken during monsoon, she claimed.