Mumbai: BJP MP Kirit Somaiya booked for assaulting cop

A first information report has been registered against Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Parliament Kirit Somaiya for allegedly assaulting and threatening an inspector inside a police station in suburban Mulund, the police said on Monday.

The FIR was registered on Sunday night against Somaiya, BJP MP from Mumbai North East, under Indian Penal Code sections 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from his duty) and 506 (criminal intimidation) at the Navghar police station, Deputy Police Commissioner Vinay Rathod said.

Somaiya had allegedly indulged in a heated argument with police inspector Sampath Munde at the Navghar police station and later assaulted him on August 21, Rathod said.

The BJP leader had gone that day to the police station for the release of his aide, who had been summoned in an unlawful assembly case registered in April this year. The unlawful assembly case was registered against the BJP as well as Nationalist Congress Party workers at the police station.

Somaiya demanded immediate release of the BJP activist. The heated argument escalated to alleged manhandling by Somaiya of Munde, who refused to follow his orders. The MP allegedly threatened the inspector with dire consequences for not paying heed to his demands, the police said.

Reacting to the development, the BJP said that Somaiya was being "falsely implicated" and warned the Congress-NCP government that the party would give a befitting reply both legally and politically.

"This is a political move," said Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar, speaking to reporters. "

Somaiya, who was also present, did not talk about the charges pressed against him, but said, "My reply to the Congress-NCP regime is that I have exposed two more cases of corruption against them today."

Shelar ridiculed NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik's demand that the BJP MP be arrested. "Congress-NCP always make accusations against those exposing their corruption....The home minister should explain why did police take four days to register the `crime'," he said.

"The complaint mentions that Somaiya tried to wriggle out of the cop's hands. If that is so, then why did the cop grab his hands in the first place," Shelar said. "Somaiya has exposed scams like the one at NSEL and we know which top leader and party is linked to them," Shelar added.