Sena calls for bandh after attack on MLA

PUNE, Oct 20: Newly elected Shiv Sena MLA of the Shivajinagar constituency Vinayak Nimhan 36 escaped from a murderous assault by a group of about eight persons near Pashan late last evening. The city Shiv Sena unit has given a call for a bandh in Pune on Thursday to condemn the incident. Nimhan was rushed to Sancheti Hospital and stated to be out of danger.

Seven youths have been arrested. in connection with the assault. They are Anand Rupchand Gajbhiye 23, Gabbar Ahmed Shaikh 22, Praveen Gujar 29, Sandeep Nimhan 22, Sanjay Jagtap 25, Ganesh Supekar 24, and Harishchandra Shinde 27.

The city Shiv Sena unit has said essential services have been left out from the bandh. The party has planned a morcha to the police commissionerate tomorrow.

Police suspect that some old feud, probably a political one between Nimhan and one of his distant relatives, Rambhau Nimhan, led to the assault. A bandh was observed in Pashan today to condemn the incident. The incident took place near the vegetable market in Pashan village when Nimhan was hit on the head with a heavy blunt object. Shiv Sena city unit chief Chandrakant Amrale alleged that the attackers belonged to the Congress.