2 arrested, cross FIRs filed after clash at Kalyan residential society leaves man seriously injured

The injured man’s family has alleged that a government official hailing from North India had a dispute with his neighbours, a Maharashtrian family, and when other Marathi-speaking neighbours tried to mediate, the man brought a group of men and attacked them.

Sources with the police revealed that the dispute was between government employees Akhilesh Shukla and Varsha Kalvikatte who live next to each other in the plush Ajmera Heights building in the Yogidham area, Kalyan (West).

Shukla is a manager at the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation. His family burns incense outside their house as a ritual. However, Kalvikatte allegedly opposed this because her young child and elderly mother would face breathing issues.

On Wednesday, an argument reportedly broke out over this and other neighbours – Dheeraj and Abhijit Deshmukh – tried to pacify them, but this angered Shukla who is said to have called other seven-eight people, further escalating the issue.

Shukla’s side allegedly attacked the Deshmukhs and Kalvikatte with iron rods, bicycles and other blunt objects, besides abusing them for being Marathi. Abhijit sustained head injuries in the attack and is currently in hospital.

Local units of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), besides other outfits, have threatened to protest if the police failed to take strict action over the incident.

A senior officer with Thane police said the first FIR in this connection was filed on Wednesday, followed by one on Thursday. “A case of assault, causing grievous hurt and molestation has been registered. We have arrested two people so far. An investigation is on to arrest more people. We are conducting a thorough probe,” the officer said.