Former Maharashtra MLA VN Patil at a school were he slapped a peon.
A Maharashtra minister's father was seen on a cell phone camera slapping a school peon for allegedly shooting his video during a visit to a school with an education department official. A police complaint has been filed against former Member of Legislative Assembly VN Patil, father of Maharashtra
Minister of State for Home Ranjit Patil, for allegedly assaulting the peon identified as Amol Kale.
The school principal, Sanjay Athavale, who filed the complaint, told reporters the former MLA came with a Maharashtra Education Department official to give notice for cancelling government recognition to the academic institution.
The incident happened on Saturday, and the principal filed the complaint with Murtuzapur Rural police station in Maharashtra's Akola district on Sunday.
In the video, a voice said to be of the school principal is heard questioning the former MLA's authority for visiting the school to cancel government recognition. A voice is also heard in the video referring to the former MLA as "ajoba", or paternal grandfather in Marathi.
The school's owner, Sanjay Deshmukh, said he has been running a government-recognised, non-aided school and junior college since 2008 without taking grant from the government. In Maharashtra, a
junior college refers to a school that takes class 11 and class 12 students.
The ex-MLA and father of MoS Home Ranjeet Patil tried to shut down the college by complaining several times. They have filed petitions, but the courts have earlier ruled in our favour," Mr Deshmukh said.
"Now the education department of Maharashtra has issued orders, and Rathod from the Education Department was scheduled to visit the college. I sent the principal to the college and the ex-MLA accompanied the official who was visiting. They checked our cupboards, abused and hit a staff member and then left with the records," Mr Deshmukh said.
The school principal said he did get a call from Mr Deshmukh, asking him to visit the college with the peon since the Education Department official was coming.
"When the official arrived, he was accompanied by the ex-MLA and current MoS of Home Dr Ranjit Patil's father VN Patil. Respecting his age, we requested him not to come as he had come earlier too and misbehaved with us," school principal Sanjay Athavale said.
"We were not even aware of our recognition being cancelled. VN Patil ordered the official to open our cupboards. Because his visit was illegal I started recording it on the mobile phone. He then came forward and hit the peon," Mr Athavale told reporters.
The education department official visited the school carrying a letter to say its recognition has been cancelled, along with the reasons for it. However, the full content of the letter and the exact reasons behind cancellation of recognition were unclear.
Maharashtra Minister of State for Home Ranjit Patil did not comment on the matter.