Pune: Multiplex staff beaten up by Raj Thackeray's MNS workers over exorbitant food prices

First, the street vendors and now the staff of multiplex. The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena party workers including former corporator thrashed the PVR multiplex staff in Pune over the high pricing of food items sold at the multiplex.

The incident took place on Thursday afternoon at PVR Icon multiplex located at Senapati Bapat road.

After the video of MNS workers including the former party corporator Kishor Shinde thrashing multiplex staff went viral on social media, Pune police registered a case against the party workers at Chatuhshrungi police station.

"A case has been registered against Shinde and others under relevant sections of Indian Penal Code after the multiplex administration approached us with a complaint," Senior police inspector Dayanand Dhome, in charge of Chatuhshrungi police station said.

Speaking to DNA, Shinde admitted that his party workers thrashed theater staff. "These multiplexes are overpricing the food items and recently even the Bombay High Court also questioned the state government over the high pricing at the multiplexes. Based on those reports, we had gone to various multiplexes asking them the logic behind the high pricing," Shinde said.

"At PVR however, when we asked the staffer if he has read the news, he said that he does not know Marathi so he could not read Marathi newspaper. When we asked him the explanation of high pricing, instead of giving the explanation, he said, those who can purchase food items should visit the multiplex. Our party workers got annoyed with his arrogant answer and some of them slapped him," he added. 

Shinde also stated that the party workers will be visiting all the multiplexes and they will be giving them memorandum to the management, asking them to reduce the exorbitant prices of food items.

Few days ago, the Bombay High Court had asked the state government why it could not regulate the prices of food items sold at multiplexes across the theater. While hearing a public interest lawsuit challenging the prohibition on carrying outside food inside the multiplexes and theaters, the bench of justice Ranjit More and Anuja Prabhudesai has directed the state to examine the Bombay police Act to see if the prices of food items sold at multiplexes can be regulated.

#WATCH Pune: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena(MNS) workers thrash a movie theatre manager during a protest over high prices of food items in the theatre. (28.6.18) (Note: Strong Language) pic.twitter.com/UEEBOYiuKz

— ANI (@ANI) June 29, 2018