Seven members of Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), accused of brutally assaulting a Mumbai shopkeeper for not speaking Marathi, were released shortly after being detained, triggering widespread outrage and questions over political impunity.
The incident took place late Sunday in the Mira Road area of Mumbai, where the MNS workers slapped and threatened 48-year-old Babulal Chaudhary, owner of the Jodhpur Sweet Shop.
The attack was sparked by Chaudhary’s staffer, Bagharam, a native of Rajasthan, speaking in Hindi. The group demanded that communication be in Marathi, to which Chaudhary responded that all languages are spoken in Maharashtra.
Attack filmed and shared online
In a disturbing turn, the MNS workers recorded the assault and shared the video online, prompting immediate public backlash. Despite this clear evidence, it took two days for a police case to be filed and another 24 hours for the police to summon the accused for questioning.
Four of the attackers have been identified. Deputy Commissioner of Police Prakash Gaikwad confirmed that the incident, as seen in the video, is a cognisable offence, reported NDTV.
Detained, not arrested
On Thursday evening, Maharashtra Minister Nitish Rane initially confirmed the arrest of the seven men during an interview with NDTV. However, it later emerged that the individuals had only been detained, not formally arrested. Their statements were recorded, and they were released on bail bonds.
Rane later admitted the arrests had not been made but claimed they would be done soon, stating, “Marathi should be spoken. No compromises... but nobody should take the law into their hands.”
Police sources said that the charges currently filed attract a punishment of less than seven years, which allows for release on bail bonds. The men can only be arrested if more serious charges are added.
No apology from MNS
The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has shown no remorse for the incident. Sandeep Deshpande, chief of MNS’s Mumbai unit, defended the attack, saying the shopkeeper had “insulted Marathi” and warned, “If there is an attempt to insult Marathi, we will respond. We won’t tolerate it.”
This comes even as Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray continue to claim victory in pressuring the state government over the Hindi imposition controversy. The incident has further intensified debates around language politics and vigilantism in Maharashtra.
