Villagers stage rasta roko to protest against attack on Parli youth

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Residents of Limboti village and surrounding areas in Beed's Parli taluka conducted a rasta roko on Sunday morning, protesting against the violent attack on an 18-year-old youth.The protesters called for the application of theMaharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against the assailants, who allegedly operated as a gang.The protest temporarily blocked traffic on the Parli-Beed road until intervention by police and district administration officials. On May 16, 18-year-old Shivraj Diwate was reportedly abducted and severely beaten by about 20 people over minor disputes near Parli. Police registered cases of attempted murder, rioting, and kidnapping. Seven of the 20 suspects were arrested and remanded in police custody until May 20.On Sunday, a new video surfaced showing one of the accused being assaulted by people claiming to be Diwate's friends. This incident allegedly occurred before Diwate's attack. Parli police said they would analyse the video footage as part of their investigation.Diwate, currently receiving treatment at govt hospital in Ambajogai, was visited by Parli NCP MLA Dhananjay Munde, Beed NCP MP Bajrang Sonawane, as well as Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange, among others. Talking to reporters, Munde said Diwate was like family and sought a thorough police investigation. "The Beed SP has already said there is no caste angle to the assault. There is a need for a thorough probe to find out the reasons behind the attack on Diwate," he said.Sonawane, after visiting Diwate, criticised Munde indirectly. "The recent gruesome violence in Parli is the outcome of the rule of goons in Parli for the past three decades. Police must nab all the accused and ensure stringent punishment," he said.Ashti BJP MLA Suresh Dhas said the "B gang" of Valmik Karad, the primary accused in the Dec 9 murder of Massajog sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh, remained active in Beed district. "I have come across photos of some of Diwate's attackers with Valmik Karad. It was a very inhuman attack on him. Police must invoke MCOCA against all accused," Dhas told reporters.