Aaditya Thackeray Booked for Inaugurating Mumbai Bridge

Mumbai: An FIR has been registered against Aaditya Thackeray for illegally inaugurating a bridge in Lower Parel area. The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader alleged that the Mumbai police is working under pressure from the relatives of the chief minister Eknath Shinde’s office.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday approached N.M. Joshi Marg police station with a complaint after Mr. Thackeray, along with MLCs, Sunil Shinde and Sachin Ahir, former mayor Kishori Pednekar and others reached Delisle Bridge in Lower Parel on Thursday night and removed the barricades placed in front of it. This allowed the people to use the bridge.  

On his X account, the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader had on Thursday posted a message saying in Marathi that “the inauguration of Delisle Bridge! Since the people are suffering, there is no need for the VIP of the Khoke government to inaugurate it.”

According to the N.M. Joshi Marg Police, the case has been registered on the complaint of Purushottam Ingale (43), an assistant engineer in the BMC bridge department. The complainant is supervising the work of Delisle Bridge. Mr. Ingale alleged that work is still to be completed on the southbound lane of Delisle Road Bridge. Despite this, he saw on social media that the bridge had been inaugurated by Aditya Thackeray along with other party workers. They also removed the barricades installed at the entry point and thus they put people's lives in danger.

The FIR has been registered under sections 143, 149, 336 and 447 of IPC against the Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders.

Reacting to the FIR, Mr. Thackeray said that there was no substance in the FIR against him as there was no harm to anyone or damage to the properties. “But there was huge pressure (Police) from the relatives and people close to  the CMO (chief minister office)...They have called and said if a case is not registered, concerned officers will be transferred. I have sympathy for those police officers,” he said.

Defending the bridge inauguration, the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader said that he inaugurated it for the general public, as it awaited an official inauguration. “I am surprised that despite being a local MLA, an FIR has been filed against me. Is it not within my jurisdiction to inspect and inaugurate a bridge?” he asked.