Tension gripped the Palegaon area of Ambernath East in Maharashtra's Thane district on Wednesday after a 21-year-old man died following a brutal assault allegedly linked to a love affair. The victim's relatives and hundreds of angry locals marched to the police station, pelting stones and vandalizing the office of a local corporator, whom they accused of protecting the perpetrators.
Incident details
Om Khore was severely beaten by five to seven individuals on June 23. He succumbed to his injuries at Mumbai's KEM Hospital on Wednesday. According to police, the attack was motivated by the uncle of a young woman who suspected Khore of having a romantic relationship with his niece.
The Shivajinagar police in Ambernath had initially registered a case against three persons and arrested two of them. However, after Khore's death, the family alleged that the police had not acted against all those involved. The victim's relatives claimed they had provided seven names, but only five were named in the case.
Protest and vandalism
As news of Khore's death spread, his family members, relatives, and locals marched towards the police station. En route, some individuals pelted stones and vandalized the office of a corporator from a national party in Palegaon. The relatives accused the corporator of shielding the accused and helping them evade action.
The corporator has denied all allegations, demanding strict police action against those who attacked her office.
Police response
Deputy Commissioner of Police Sachin Gore confirmed that five accused persons—Sandip Gawli, Ravi Parmar, Nayan Madvi, Sachin Patil, and Raj Desekar—have been taken into custody. Efforts are underway to track down the remaining suspects.
Additional police personnel have been deployed in the area to maintain law and order, officials said. The investigation is ongoing.
Family demands
After reaching the police station, Khore's family members refused to claim the body until all individuals involved were arrested. They insisted that the police must take action against all seven suspects they had initially named.
