Civic staff manhandled while removing encroachments in Thane city; four booked

Thane: A team of civic staffers were allegedly verbally abused and manhandled by four members of a family while attempting to remove encroachments in a locality in Maharashtra's Thane city, police said on Friday.

Based on a complaint, a case under section 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and Maharashtra Police Act of 1951 has been registered for the incident that occurred in the Kolshet area on Wednesday, an official said.

A team from the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) had gone to Kolshet for an inspection when they found an unauthorised structure being constructed in the locality, he said.

The team initiated the process of razing the structure when four members of a family arrived at the scene and started verbally abusing them and manhandling them, the official said.

The team was unable to carry out the demolition, following which a police complaint was lodged, he said, adding that no arrests have been made in this regard so far, he said.