Army man assaulted by 9 in Navi Mumbai

An autorickshaw driver and eight others allegedly assaulted a 38-year-old army personnel in Taloja after he and his wife asked the driver not to litter the road. The personnel, who is in the city for his leave, has sustained minor injuries. All the nine accused are booked for assault, rioting and criminal intimidation.

The complainant, Pratap More, and his wife Rutuja, 32, stepped out to purchase vegetables on Saturday around 7pm in Rohinjan area.

An autorickshaw driver, later identified as Mithun Ulwekar, 31, flung two empty plastic bottles on the road. Rutuja asked him to pick up the bottles but the driver started to hurl abuses at her, said the police.

The rickshaw driver argued with Rutuja and told her that it is the government’s duty to clear the litter and refused to pick up the bottles.

“More intervened and told the driver not to misbehave with his wife, but the accused assaulted him. There was a scuffle between the complainant and the driver and at least eight more people joined Ulwekar and assaulted More,” said Kashinath Chavan, senior inspector, Taloja police station.

More suffered injuries on his hand and near his eye.

No arrests have been made yet.