Video of MLA beating up official goes viral

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA from Karjat, Suresh Lad, stoked a controversy when he was caught allegedly beating up a state government official in his office. A video of the MLA slapping and assaulting a deputy collector, who kept pleading with him, has gone viral.

According to reports, the incident is said to have occurred last week. Mr Lad is seen in the video, slapping and threatening deputy collector Abhay Kalgutkar during a meeting called to settle disputes in connection with purchase of land for an oil pipeline. Locals said that despite opposing acquisition of their land for the project, Mr Kalgutkar held a meeting at the Karjat tehsildar’s office to evaluate land cost. Mr Lad went for the meeting along with a group of farmers when reportedly, a fight erupted over land compensation where Mr Lad grabbed Mr Kalgutkar and another officer by their shirts and slapped the deputy collector.

In the video, Mr Kalgutkar is heard saying, “Please (stop), please (stop)” while Mr Lad is heard saying, “I will file a FIR against you in the police station”. However, the MLA has not filed any complaint in the matter. Speaking to The Asian Age, Mr Lad denied having beaten up the deputy collector.

“We had opposed laying of the Reliance pipeline by holding an agitation. Taking note of it, the company assured us that the decision about land acquisition would be taken only after taking farmers into confidence. Despite this, government officials initiated the acquisition process,” he said.