Mumbai: Seven members of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), who violently assaulted a shopkeeper in Mumbai for not speaking in Marathi, were released within hours of being detained, according to a report by NDTV.
The men had also recorded their assault and circulated it on social media, yet walked out the same evening after being briefly questioned by police.
Detained, Then Let Off On Bail Bonds
According to the report, police said that the seven MNS workers were picked up on Thursday evening (July 3) but were quickly let go on bail bonds. The reason? The charges levelled against them attract a maximum punishment of seven years, which, under legal provisions, makes the offence bailable.
Despite the severity of the attack, carried out in broad daylight and proudly shared online, the police clarified that the offence is non-cognisable, which means a prior approval from a magistrate is required to initiate a full investigation or make arrests without a warrant.
As per NDTV, one of the accused, openly defended the violence by saying the shopkeeper had “invited the attack on himself.” He showed no attempt to conceal his identity.
Minister Claims Arrest, Reality Shows Otherwise
In an interview with NDTV, Maharashtra minister Nitish Rane said that the men had been “arrested.” However, within minutes of his comment airing, it became evident that the accused had, in fact, already been released earlier that same evening.
The swift release of the men, despite video evidence and public outrage, has raised serious concerns over the state’s handling of such politically sensitive incidents, especially those involving language-related violence. As of now, no further action has been confirmed by police.
