Ten held for attack on Loksatta Editor Kumar Ketkar's house
07 Jun 2008
Mumbai: The police have arrested three more workers of pro-NCP Shivsangram Sanghatna in connection with the attack on the house of Kumar Ketkar, editor of Marathi daily Loksatta.
The police have so far arrested 10 and has remanded all of them to police custody until June 12. They have been charged with rioting and unlawful assembly, criminal intimidation and stopping a public servant from doing his duty. If convicted, they face up to seven years jail.
However, the police find it difficult to explain how the incident happened at a place where a 24-hour vigilance has been kept. Ketkar has also been provided with an armed guard. The police also took 40 minutes to reach the spot after the incident happened.
While the Shivsangram does not have a considerable presence in Thane, sources say the workers who attacked Ketkar's residence may be from Navi Mumbai, Mumbai and Kalyan.
Local office-bearers of the party denied involvement in the protest against an editorial in the newspaper on Maharashtra government's decision to erect a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji in Mumbai.
Kumar Ketkar, editor of Loksatta, wrote a crtical piece pointing out how the money set aside by the state government to build a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji could be better used elsewhere.
The attack on Ketkar's house is only a sign of political intolerance and has nothing to do with criticism on the Maratha warrior king.
