An elderly man in Thane was brutally assaulted and left with a fractured leg by a driver after objecting to him spitting on the footpath. The incident, captured on video, went viral, leading to the driver's arrest on attempted murder charges following intervention from Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
An elderly man in Thane objected to a driver spitting on the footpath outside Jupiter Hospital on Tuesday evening and was shoved to the ground, beaten and left with a fractured leg. Before the day was finished, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde "ordered an attempted murder case" after the incident was captured on camera and went viral.
When the video surfaced, it showed driver Nishant Dhar Shukla, 40, spitting on the footpath, being confronted by the elderly man, and responding with a shove, a beating and a stone raised to strike. The victim, who was out for an evening walk with his wife, was knocked to the ground and suffered a fractured leg.
What Happened?
Around 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, a 70-year-old man protested to 40-year-old taxi driver Nishant Dhar Shukla spitting outside his car close to Jupiter Hospital. Before attempting to hit the elderly man in the head with a stone, Shukla allegedly grew furious, spat insults, and assaulted him in front of his wife and family. The old guy broke his leg as he fell to the ground.
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Many onlookers expressed disbelief at the degree of violence sparked by what started out as a trivial disagreement over civic conduct as the dramatic scenario played out in front of them.
Watch Viral Video
Was FIR Filed?
After the victim's initial reluctance to submit a complaint, Nitesh Patole of the Shiv Sena filed the case. Shukla was charged by the authorities under BNS sections 352 (intentional insult with purpose to cause breach of peace) and 109 (attempt to murder).
How Was Accused Traced?
Within two hours of the attack video becoming viral, local Sena members from the Thackeray and Shinde factions located Shukla and turned him over to Vartaknagar Police. There have also been videos of employees confronting him prior to the transfer.
According to a senior police official, cops are reconstructing the events by looking at witness accounts, the viral video, and other evidence. Investigators have focused legal attention on the usage of a stone in particular.
