Force-feeding: Plea against Shiv Sena MP Rajan Vichare to be heard on August 18

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court will hear on August 18 a petition seeking registration of a criminal case against Shiv Sena MP Rajan Vichare, accused of force-feeding an IRCTC employee who was on fast during the holy month of Ramzan, at the new Maharashtra Sadan here on July 17.

The plea, which seeks filing of an FIR against Vichare under various IPC sections including 153 A (promoting enmity between classes),323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (wrongful restraining any person) and 506 (criminal intimidation), came up for hearing before Metropolitan Magistrate Puneet Pahwa who fixed it for hearing on August 18.

During the hearing, advocate Vishal Sinha, appearing for petitioner Kamran Siddiqui, alleged that Vichare's act was not acceptable in a civilised society and that they had moved the Delhi High Court with a complaint on August 1 but it asked them to approach the trial court for appropriate legal remedy.

Sinha told the court that they had filed a complaint in this regard before Delhi Police but no action has been taken till date.

The petitioner has alleged that Vichare had "deliberately targeted the Muslim canteen worker in front of media and TV channel crew with camera to ensure wide coverage of his action with intention to hurt religious sentiments..."

The plea claimed that the Shiv Sena MP "tried to provoke breach of peace and harmed communal harmony while promoting enmity between different groups on the ground of religion and region".

It also alleged that on July 17 at the new Maharashtra Sadan here, Vichare and his associates wrongfully restrained, assaulted, criminally intimidated and used criminal force to feed 'chapati' to the canteen employee.

It sought court's direction to the police to lodge an FIR in the case and take appropriate action against the accused.

Shiv Sena defended Vichare and his associates saying they did not know that the canteen employee was a Muslim and was observing Ramzan fast. The party had clarified that Vichare and others were irked over poor quality of food being served in the canteen.