Youth assaulted in Parli, 20 face murder bid case

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: An 18-year-old youth from Parli was allegedly abducted and violently attacked by 20 people on Friday evening over petty issues. Beed superintendent of police Navneet Kanawat confirmed that 20 people had been charged, with seven already in custody.While returning from a religious gathering at Jalapur, Shivraj Diwate, who resides in Limbote village near Parli, was pursued by the assailants. According to police, the attackers, travelling on two-wheelers, intercepted Diwate and his friend who were on a motorbike. They gagged Diwate and took him to a nearby hill.In a now-viral video, Diwate can be seen being severely beaten with belts and wooden sticks. The viral footage of the assault brought back disturbing memories of Masajog sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh's murder on Dec 9 last year."The assault stemmed from trivial matters and involved people of different castes. We have imposed serious charges against the perpetrators," Kanawat said. The SP dismissed any caste-related motivations and urged Beed district residents to disregard rumours about the incident. Currently receiving treatment at Ambajogai government hospital, Diwate told reporters that two passers-by witnessed his assault and raised an alarm, enabling his escape. "There was some quarrel at Jalalpur during the religious event, and I had only observed it. The attackers caught me while I was returning home. They threatened to repeat what had been done to Santosh Deshmukh while beating me. They were under the influence of ganja," he said.Diwate expressed concerns for his safety and demanded severe punishment for the attackers.Dhananjay Deshmukh, the deceased Massajog sarpanch's brother, visited Diwate in the hospital to show support.Police declined to comment on speculation about the attackers' connections to Valmik Karad, the primary accused in the Massajog sarpanch murder. Based on the victim's complaint, the Parli police filed charges under BNS sections 109 (attempt to murder), 140 (3) kidnapping, among others.