3 MNS workers arrested in Mumbai after video showing them thrashing a woman goes viral

Mumbai: Three Maharashtra Navnirman Sena workers have been arrested after a video showing them purportedly assaulting a woman in full public view went viral, police said on Friday. The trio had been detained by police a day before over the incident which had taken place on August 28.

The woman had taken objection to local MNS workers installing a pole for mounting an advertisement board in front of her shop in the Kamathipura area in central Mumbai which led to a row, police said.A video showed Vinod Argile, a local office-bearer of the Raj Thackeray-led MNS, and two other party workers slapping, pushing and abusing the middle-aged woman.

After the video circulated on social media, a First Information Report (FIR) was registered under IPC sections 323 (assault), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 509 (act intending to outrage the modesty of a woman) at Nagpada police station on Thursday. The accused were arrested late at night, said an official. Meanwhile, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) slammed the MNS over the incident.

It is a very unfortunate and condemnable incident. Party chief Raj Thackeray should clarify his stand over the incident, NCP chief spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said in a statement.