Angry protesters vandalise corporator's office over Thane man's death after assault

Tension broke out in Maharashtra's Thane district after a 21-year-old man died following an assault allegedly linked to a suspected love affair. After news of his death spread on Wednesday, his relatives and local residents protested and vandalised a corporator's office, accusing her of protecting those involved in the attack.

The corporator denied the allegation and sought strict action against those who attacked her office. Police said five accused have been taken into custody and efforts are on to trace the others, while extra personnel have been deployed in the area to maintain law and order.

According to police, the trouble was reported in the Palegaon area of Ambernath East after Om Khore, who was badly beaten by five to seven people on June 23, died during treatment at Mumbai's KEM Hospital. Police said Khore was allegedly attacked because the uncle of a young woman suspected him of being in a romantic relationship with his niece.

The Shivajinagar police in Ambernath had initially registered a case against three people and arrested two of them. But after Khore's death, his family members, relatives and hundreds of angry locals marched towards the police station. On the way, some of them threw stones at and vandalised the office of a corporator of a national party in Palegaon.

Khore's relatives alleged that the corporator had shielded the accused and helped them avoid action. The corporator rejected the allegation of any involvement or of helping the culprits, and demanded strict police action against those who vandalised her office.

At the police station, Khore's family refused to claim or move his body until everyone involved in the assault was arrested. The relatives said they had initially given the police seven names, but action had been taken against five. Deputy Commissioner of Police Sachin Gore said five accused — Sandip Gawli, Ravi Parmar, Nayan Madvi, Sachin Patil and Raj Desekar — had been taken into custody, and efforts were under way to track down the others.

Officials said the investigation was under way and additional police personnel had been deployed in the area. The case centres on Khore's death after the June 23 assault, the protest by his family and locals, and the police action against those accused in the attack.

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