The corporator, the brother of senior party leader Nawab Malik, hurled abuses and threatened special correspondent Sandeep Ashar in the cabin of chief accountant (finance) Ram
A senior DNA journalist was threatened by Nationalist Congress Party corporator Kaptan Malik at the civic headquarters on Thursday.
The corporator, the brother of senior party leader Nawab Malik, hurled abuses and threatened special correspondent Sandeep Ashar in the cabin of chief accountant (finance) Ram Dhas.
Ashar said that he was threatened without provocation. “I was in the officer’s cabin, discussing civic issues, when the corporator entered without invitation,” he said.
Kaptan had brought prasad from a pilgrimage for Dhas. “He pulled a chair for himself. Keen that I should leave the cabin, Kaptan began bad-mouthing me. He began showering expletives when I requested him to observe restraint.”
Without provocation, the corporator went on to threaten the journalist and his family. “My goonda pehala hun, nagarsevak badme. Idhar hi gab doona (I am a goon first, a corporator later. I will bury you here itself),” he said.
Dhas confirmed Ashar’s claims. “He probably wanted to speak to the officer in person,” Ashar said.
The corporator, when confronted by a delegation of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Vartahar Sangh, a representative body of journalists, said, “I did not know he was a journalist. He misbehaved with me.”
The Sangh filed a complaint with the Azad Maidan police station. Sangh chairman Vishnu Sonavane said copies of the complaint had been sent to the NCP city unit and the municipal commissioner.
“This is unbecoming of an elected representative,” Sonavane said.
NCP’s civic leader Niyaz Wanu said, “If the incident really happened, it is unfortunate. I will take it up with seniors.”
NCP city chief Narendra Verma said, “I apologise on his behalf.” Nawab Malik said he could not comment as he was unaware of the developments. No FIR has been registered yet.
Kaptan had reportedly assaulted an assistant commissioner two years back.
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