'Illegal inauguration' of bridge: Mumbai Police book Aditya Thackeray, others

Mumbai: The Mumbai Police have booked Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray, Sachin Ahir and Sunil Shinde for the alleged "illegal inauguration" of the Delisle Road bridge in Lower Parel, an official said here on Saturday.

Thackeray, along with Ahir and Shinde, all legislators, two ex-Mayors Kishori Pednekar and Snehal Ambekar, accompanied by other party workers had stormed the bridge and symbolically inaugurated it in public interest, late on Thursday night.

Following the incident, a civic road department officer named Purushottam P. Ingle, 43, lodged a complaint with the N. M. Joshi Marg Police Station today (November 18).

Investigating Officer Meghna Burade said that an illegal crowd of 20 other unidentified activists removed the barricades in front the ESIC Bhavan at the beginning of the unfinished bridge without prior permission of the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and trespassed on the bridge.

"I have a complaint against them for the opening of the bridge and allowing some vehicles to pass through it, causing danger to the lives of the motorists," Burade added.

The IO said she had booked the accused trio – Thackeray, Ahir and Shinde - under various sections of the Indian Penal Code.

Earlier, the BMC Commissioner I. S. Chahal had said that the civic body would be filing the complaint against Aditya Thackeray and others.

The BMC authorities have contended that such an unauthorised "inauguration" of a bridge that is not fully completed or certified by the concerned department could cause avoidable mishaps or accidents.

In a sharp reaction, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP and Chief Spokesperson Sanjay Raut slammed the government and police for the "politically motivated" action against its party leaders.

The ruling Shiv Sena Spokesperson Dr Manisha Kayande slammed Aditya Thackeray accusing him of continuous political interference which is delaying crucial infrastructure projects in the city.

After the token inauguration, Thackeray posted pictures showing him, Ahir, Shinde, Pednekar, Ambekar and others, waving flags and marching on the second carriageway of the Delisle Road bridge, and raising slogans against the BMC and the government for the purported delays in opening the bridge.

The dilapidated Delisle Road bridge was shut down in July 2018 after it was declared unsafe for traffic movement and then a new one has been constructed in its place, with several delays plaguing it in the past five years.

The bridge provides a crucial link from the central business districts of Lower Parel to Worli, Prabhadevi, Byculla, Reay Road and places in the east-west side of south Mumbai, and ease traffic snarls on these routes.