Group pelts stones at Saamana office

The Shiv Sena got a taste of its own bitter pill on Tuesday after a group of irate men from the Sambhaji Brigade — a pro-Maratha social organisation hurled abuses and pelted stones at Sena mouthpiece’s Saamana office in Navi Mumbai, following a cartoon published by the newspaper on Sunday on the silent Maratha protest.

The Navi Mumbai police has registered a case against unidentified men and investigation is on.

According to the sources, three to four bike-borne youths reached Saamana’s office in Vashi around 1.45 pm. They pelted stones on the glass façade of the newspaper’s office in Vashi, New Mumbai. In another incident, unidentified men threw ink at the newspaper’s office in Thane. Soon after the two incidents, security was beefed up outside Saamana offices in Vashi and Thane.

Confirming the incident, Navi Mumbai police commissioner Hemant Nagrale said that an offence has been registered against the accused, and investigation will be conducted in the matter. “After the investigation, appropriate action will be taken against the accused,” Mr Nagrale said.

An investigating officer said that the youths came on a motorcycle and called the guard of Saamana’s printing press, on the pretext of handing over a letter.

When the guard started walking towards them, they pelted stones at the office and fled the spot. On Monday, angry workers from the Sambhaji Brigade burnt copies of the Sena mouthpiece.

In the cartoon, the illustrator has depicted a male protester kissing a woman, while playing on the term ‘muk morcha’ (silent protest) and changing it to ‘muka morcha’ (kissing protest). The Marathas have been organising silent marches across the state following the Kopardi rape and murder incident, in which the victim was a member from the community.

According to police sources, the accused have been identified as Shrikrushna Sawant, Amol Jadhavrao, Manojdada Aakhre and Purushottam Khedkar. “They are Sambhaji Brigade office bearers,” said police officials. Sources have revealed that Saamana press incurred losses of Rs 30,000.