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Journalism of Courage
Former Shiv Sena loyalist Dr Ramesh Prabhoo (65) — once a family physician of the Thackerays but alienated since he contested Assembly elections as an Independent — faced an attack on his property on Monday morning. A shaken Prabhoo hinted that the goons were irate Sainiks.
‘‘Before the attackers fled they said
I had betrayed the Sena,’’ Prabhoo claimed and alleged that the men named local Sena leaders, prominently Sena’s Vinayak Raut, an ex-MLA from Vile Parle who lost to Congress’s Ashok Jadhav in October.
The entrance to Prabhoo’s home was littered with broken glass. The gang of about 15 reportedly asked for Prabhoo — recovering from malaria — and roughed up his bodyguard Pawan when he attempted to stall them.
Then, within barely 10 minutes, the men allegedly smashed the front and back windshields of four cars — including a Mercedes — parked at his residence in Vile Parle (E). It’s a suburb where the Sena has built a strong network since the 1980s.
‘‘I heard loud noises around 11.45 am. When I looked out of my second-floor window, I saw 10-15 men smashing my cars,’’ Prabhoo told the media. A large photograph of Sena chief Bal Thackeray still hangs in his office room.
The Shiv Sena maintained silence, but Raut told The Indian Express that the party is not involved with the rampage.
‘‘The Sena and Sainiks are being wrongly accused. We will pursue demand for a complete inquiry to clear our names.’’
Prabhoo (who prefers to be termed Independent, not rebel) has not spoken with Sena leaders since the attack. ‘‘Why should I call them? I am not scared,’’ he said.
Additional Commissioner of Police (West Region) Param Bir Singh said the attack on Prabhoo could be politically linked. ‘‘We might arrest suspects in the next few hours.’’
The other theory gaining ground is that the attack could also be a fallout of cable war in the area. Prabhoo’s son reporteldy runs a cable network in Vile Parle (East).
