MP, cops assault family of four

A 50-year-old businessman has alleged that he and his family were assaulted by a member of Parliament (MP) from Dadra and Nagar Haveli after he overtook the Parliamentarian's cavalcade on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway late on Friday. The Kasa police has registered a case of assault.

Nalasopara resident Girish Panchal and his family — wife Hansa, son Rahul and daughter Neha — were on their way to Gujarat for a wedding when three cars — including a BMW Series 7 in which the BJP MP was travelling — stopped his SUV near Kasa on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway. The MP's security personnel, including policemen, smashed his car's windshield and assaulted them.

"Soon after I overtook their vehicles, the two cars belonging to security personnel came close to me and stopped," said Panchal. "They started smashing my vehicle windows and windshield when the MP himself stepped down and started assaulting us."

His son Rahul said: "We were shocked when the police personnel vandalised our vehicle and we started crying for help. Soon a crowd gathered, but the men continued to assault us."

A case has been registered against the driver under section 341 (wrongful restraint), 323 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt) and 427 (mischief causing damage) Kasa police station in-charge Ravindra Magar.