MUMBAI: A special court on Thursday acquitted Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anil Parab and 10 others in a 2023 case related to the alleged assault and intimidation of a BMC official.Special Judge Mahesh Jadhav, who hear cases involving MPs and MLAs, ruled that the prosecution had failed to prove the allegations against the accused beyond reasonable doubt. According to the prosecution, the incident took place in 2023 when Parab, along with Shiv Sena (UBT) workers, visited the chamber of the Santacruz (East) ward officer. The prosecution alleged that Parab questioned civic officials over the demolition of a Shiv Sena shakha and the destruction of photo frames of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Babasaheb Ambedkar. It further alleged that an assistant engineer was pulled, pushed and slapped by some of the accused and was also threatened. Parab, a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC), and the other accused had been booked under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for allegedly aiding, abetting and using criminal force against a public servant to stop him from carrying out his official duties. During the trial, the prosecution examined five witnesses, including the complainant, the alleged victim and police personnel. The court observed that the BMC officials were performing their official duties at the time of the incident. However, it held that the prosecution failed to produce enough evidence to directly link the accused to the alleged assault, and acquitted all 11 accused.
