Was the violent clash between a family in Ajmera Heights in  Kalyan and its neighbour on Wednesday night a Marathi versus non-Marathi brawl as made out by politicians?  The brawl started when Geeta Akhilesh Shukla lit an incense stick and kept it outside her flat. Her neighbour Lata Kalvikatte objected to that saying that the smoke did not suit her. Soon the verbal dispute snowballed into a free for all with others (Deshmukh family) in the building and outsiders summoned by the Shuklas taking part.  

The arrests carried out by the Khadakpada police on Saturday showed that at least two of those accused of beating up Shukla's neighbours, Dheeraj Deshmukh and his brother Abhijit Deshmukh,  are Marathis themselves. The main accused Akhilesh Shukla was arrested on Friday. On Saturday, his wife, Geeta, and two others, Vivek Jadhav and Parth Jadhav (both Marathis) were arrested for allegedly attacking the Deshmukhs. 

Trigger warning: Visuals can be disturbing for some viewers. Discretion advised.

On Friday, two Marathi youths, Darshan Borade and Sumit Jadhav were arrested along with Akhilesh Shukla. A total of six arrests have been made and the police are on the look out for four more.The police said the remaining four wanted accused numbering are also Marathi-speaking. Given these facts, the claim that it was a fight between non-Marathi and Marathi families fall flat on its face. The police said that so far, six accused individuals have been produced in court under tight police security at Kalyan court. They were remanded to police custody until December 27.Kalyanji Ghete, ACP from Kalyan police, confirmed that three accused individuals were arrested on Saturday. He further added that the assailants who came in support of  Shukla are all from Kalyan and are Marathis.

In a video posted on the social media before his arrest, Akhilesh Shukla asserted  in chaste Marathi that he considered himself as a Maharashtrian. He said for five generations his family has been living in the state in harmony. He categorically denied that the fight with his neighbour, the Kalvikatte's and Deshmukh's had anything to do with regional issue. He said the problem started when he shifted his shoe rack from one place outside his flat to another. The Kalvikattes' objected to that and that the matter has been simmering for one year. 

Geeta Akhilesh Shukla has filed a counter complaint against Lata Kalvikatte, one Dheeraj Deshmukh and Mona Deshmukh under sections 74, 115(2), 352, 351(2), and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nayi Sanhita.As per the FIR, the complainant Geeta lodged it on December 18 at 7:30 AM. She stated that she lit an incense stick outside her door. Subsequently, Lata Kalvikatte came to her home and a heated argument ensued between them. Kalvikatte allegedly assaulted her. She stated in the complaint that her husband's friends Dinesh , Sumit Jadhav, and Nilesh Jadhav had come to meet him. Her husband Akhilesh intervened to sort things out.

Following this, they manhandled her husband. Subsequently, Dheeraj and his brother Abhijit came and verbally abused her husband. They assaulted him, and later they touched her inappropriately.

Police investigates the seized car

The police have seized a car belonging to main accused Akhilesh Shukla  which had a beacon and Maharashtra Govt was written on it. Shukla was working as an accountant with the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC), which a state government undertaking. But he is not entitled to sport a beacon. The police have asked the RTO to inquire.