A cake-cutting ceremony outside a Navratri venue turned into a nightmare for 26-year-old Ismail Yakub Shaikh, a youth from Virar, as relatives of a corporator launched a scathing attack. As a result, Shaikh could now lose his left eye. The youth alleges that the Virar police pressured him to take the case back when he stepped forward to complain.
Ismail Shaikh, a resident of Gopcharpada in Virar (East), was celebrating his friend Manish's birthday on Tuesday when four people Akram Shaikh, ex-corporator Karim Shaikh, Moin Shaikh and Sabir Khan suddenly launched an assault. Former corporator Akram Shaikh is the father of present corporator Zeenat Shaikh. The victim has suffered a fracture to his nose and internal injury to his left eye.
"I was at a Navratri venue for a cake-cutting ceremony when suddenly four people assaulted me. They hit me with belts, blew punches and kicked me till I was unconscious. Doctors say I could lose my left eye due to damage," said the victim.
"When I visited Virar police station the cops asked me not to report the matter as the former corporator's family has clout in the locality. They even dissuaded me from registering a complaint," said Shaikh.
"We have registered a case under section 324 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt) of the Indian Penal Code against Moin and Sabir. They were arrested and have been released on bail by the Vasai Court," said a senior Virar police official and rubbished allegations of inaction on the police's part.
"My father has been dragged into the case. The youths were creating a fuss during Navratri celebrations and a mob thrashed them, leading to injuries. Such incidents are intolerable," said Zeenat Shaikh, corporator from Virar.
