Mumbai, Feb. 21 (PTI): A senior television journalist was attacked by around eight passengers inside a suburban train here this morning, a railway police official said.
Sudhir Shukla, who works for a Hindi news channel, sustained injuries in the attack that took place between Mira Road and Andheri railway stations on Western Railway, the official said.
“A group of seven to eight passengers standing on the footboard of the train tried to stop Shukla from boarding it at Mira Road, saying that there was no space inside,” a senior railway police official said.
“However, Shukla managed to get inside the train, following which there was an altercation between him and the group,” the official said.
Later, the group assaulted him and tried to snatch his phone when he started clicking their pictures, police said.
Shukla, who sustained injuries in the incident, got down at Andheri station and alerted the police before being taken to a hospital.
“We have initiated the process of identifying the accused. Strict action will be taken against them,” Purshottam Karad, Deputy Commissioner of Police, railway police (WR) said.
Andheri railway police registered a case under section 395 (punishment for dacoity), 397, 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) among others, investigating officer Inspector Bharat Chowdhury said.
Shukla said, “This is a well known fact about some commuters blocking the entry of others into suburban coaches.
Commuters too have been complaining about it regularly. But neither the railway police nor the Railway Protection Force has bothered to deal with it.”
Meanwhile, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, the leader of Opposition of in Maharashtra assembly, demanded the arrest of those involved in the assault.
He tweeted, “I strongly condemn the physical assault committed on senior journalist Sudhir Shukla. GRP should take immediate action and arrest the culprits. @PiyushGoyal @Dev_Fadnavis”
Condemning the incident, the Mumbai Press Club issued a statement seeking the arrest of those who attacked Shukla.
