IAS officer, brother thrash 2 Airtel employees over internet router issue in Navi Mumbai

Mumbai: Two men working for a leading telecom service provider were allegedly thrashed by an IAS officer and his brother at the latter's residence in Navi Mumbai over an Internet router issue, police said on Wednesday.

Four security guards of the residential society also allegedly joined the brother duo in attacking the two men with pipe and wooden sticks on December 30 evening, an official said quoting the FIR.

The accused are identified as IAS officer Aman Mittal, currently posted as Maharashtra water supply and sanitation department deputy secretary, and his brother Devesh Mittal, besides the four security guards.

"Two men who work for Airtel fibre internet installation service had visited the residence of Devesh Mittal to fix an internet router issue. An argument broke out between the duo and Mittals who claimed they are not getting the expected Internet range in the bedroom," the official said quoting the FIR lodged by Sagar Mandhre (27), who works as an engineer for Airtel.

Mandhre stated that he was attacked by Aman Mittal and his brother Devesh who were joined by four security guards of the building with a pipe and wooden sticks. They also thrashed Mandhre's colleague Bhushan Gujar, who works in the sales team, the official said.

The incident was captured on CCTV cameras installed on the premises of the building, he added.

"After some time, Aman Mittal called up Rabale police station, following which police personnel reached the spot and took Mandhre and Gujar to the police station," he said.

A case was registered against the Mittal brothers and four security guards under Indian Penal Code sections pertaining to causing hurt by dangerous weapon or other means and wrongful confinement, the official said.

The IAS officer lodged a cross-complaint against Mandhre and Gujar stating that they attacked him with the router machine.

Based on Mittal's complaint, an offence was registered under section 324 (Voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapon or means) of the IPC against Mandhre and Gujar, he said, adding that further investigation is underway. Nobody has been arrested so far.