Mumbai, Jul 30 A special court here on Thursday acquitted Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anil Parab and 10 others in a 2023 case of assaulting and intimidating a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation official.
Special judge for MPs/ MLAs cases Mahesh Jadhav ruled that the prosecution failed to prove the guilt of the accused beyond all reasonable doubt.
MLC Parab and others were charged under relevant provisions of Indian Penal Code for aiding, abetting, and using criminal force against a public servant to prevent him from discharging his duties.
According to the prosecution, the incident took place in 2023, when a delegation led by Parab and workers of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) arrived for a meeting in the chamber of Santacruz(E) ward officer.
As per the prosecution, Parab questioned officials about demolition of a Shiv Sena 'shakha' and destruction of photo frames of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Babasaheb Ambedkar.
Later, an assistant engineer was pulled, pushed, and slapped by accused individuals and threatened by the group, the prosecution claimed.
During the trial, the prosecution examined five witnesses, including the informant, the victim, and police personnel.
While the court acknowledged that the BMC officers were discharging their duties as public servants at the time, the prosecution's evidence failed to directly connect the accused to the physical assault.
