Parties look to 'exploit' murder of 25-year-old

With an eye on the coming civic elections, political parties have started exploiting the recent murder of a 25-year-old man at the hands of hooligans outside a fine dining restaurant in Andheri.

The victim, Kenin Sentos, had gone there with his friends for dinner, when a brawl erupted between them and the accused over eve-teasing.  Sentos’ friend, Rubin Fernandes, sustained serious injuries and is currently recuperating at Kokilaben Hospital in Andheri.

Sources say that political leaders from different parties have approached the victim’s families and offered their sympathies, but are also making trips to Valmiki Nagar area in Andheri, where the familes of the accused live, and are assuring them that they will get ‘justice’. The Valmiki Nagar slum area is considered to be a major vote-bank for politicians, and neglecting it after the incident could mar their election prospects.

“They are just pretending to be sympathetic towards our cause; they are actually interested in the vote bank from Valmiki Nagar,” says Valentine, a close friend of the deceased.

“So far, political activists and leaders from Congress, Shiv Sena and MNS have visited our area” said Jassi Singh, a local from Valimiki Nagar. This is not the only recent incident where political leaders have tried to exploit a situation for their gains. The recent riots between two communities in Valmiki Nagar area, this one at Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), saw similar visits by netas to the area even though the situation was sensitive, police officials said.

In yet another case, political parties unnecessarily started interfering during the protest by nurses against a well-known hospital in Bandra recently.