Footballer says Shiv Sainik assaulted him in ground row

KALYAN: A football player from Kalyan has alleged that he was assaulted by a local Shiv Sena worker. Rithick Mukherjee (25) said that George Varghese (49), attacked him with a sharp object, causing injuries to the hand. Rithick was administered six sutures. Varghese refuted the allegation.
Rithick said he was assaulted during a dispute over maintaining a ground near a building in Kalyan.He said the ground was earlier maintained by Varghese and the society had paid him Rs 40,000 to maintain it.
Rithick said he had started coaching children for football and he charged them a fee to maintain the ground. Rithick's father, Mukund, told TOI, "Varghese started to threaten him to stop coaching kids and stop maintaining the ground," he said.
Around 7 pm on Sunday, Rithick was training children at the ground when he was attacked allegedly by Varghese.
Speaking to TOI, Varghese had rubbished the allegations. "All I told him was that he must maintain the ground if he charges kids for coaching. But Rithick attacked me," he said.
Senior police inspector of Khadakpada police station, Gulabrao Gore, said that an assault case has been registered against Varghese. He said that a police team had gone to his house, but he was not present there. "We are on the lookout for him," said Gore.