In a shocking incident, a shopkeeper in Vikhroli was allegedly assaulted and paraded by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers on July 16, following an objectionable WhatsApp status he posted regarding the Marathi language and Maharashtra. A video of the incident has gone viral, and the shopkeeper is reportedly from Rajasthan and has since returned to his native village. The Vikhroli police are conducting further investigations into the matter.
According to sources, the shopkeeper, identified as Prem Singh Devda, a youth from Rajasthan, had rented Lucky Medical Shop in Tagore Nagar Market, Vikhroli. On Wednesday, he allegedly uploaded a WhatsApp status containing derogatory remarks against the Marathi language and Maharashtra. The contentious post was brought to the attention of Santosh Desai, an MNS, local leader.
Following the discovery of the post, local MNS leader Vishwajit Dholam, along with other MNS workers, became agitated. Around 3 PM, they confronted Devda about the WhatsApp status, allegedly assaulted him, forced him to apologize outside his shop, and then paraded him through the entire market.
Devda was subsequently taken to the Vikhroli Police Station, where he was made to issue an official apology before being handed over to the police. A video of the entire episode has gone viral on social media, eliciting strong reactions from citizens.
Devda, who belongs to the Marwari community from Rajasthan, is reported to have returned to his native village following the incident.
Senior Police Inspector Suryakant Naikwadi of Vikhroli Police Station stated that, as neither side has filed a complaint, no First Information Report (FIR) has been registered in the case yet. further investigation is underway.
Vishwajit Dholam confirmed that the shopkeeper's WhatsApp status was indeed objectionable, targeting Marathi people and Maharashtra. He stated, "We made him understand in our language," referring to the actions taken by the MNS activists.
In the video, Dholam can be heard using offensive language and saying, “These are outsiders. They come here, live among us, earn and then show us disrespect. We will definitely make an example out of him. But all of you must remember this — don’t support such outsiders by purchasing anything from them.”
