MH: Women Attacked for Saying “Excuse Me” Not Speaking Marathi — Caught on Camera
Thane, Maharashtra – In a disturbing incident from Dombivli (West), two women were physically assaulted by neighbours for not speaking in Marathi. One of the women was holding a nine-month-old baby when the attack happened.
The victims, Geeta Chauhan and Poonam Gupta, were trying to enter their residential building around 9:45 p.m. and used the phrase “excuse me” in English. Enraged by this, three men Anil Pawar (40), Babasaheb Dabhale (41) and Ritesh Dabhale (22) allegedly dragged them off their scooter and beat them with sticks. Several women also joined in the assault.
The entire attack was caught on video by a bystander and has since gone viral. Police are “investigating” the incident before registering a regular FIR to find out if the incident was the outcome of any past dispute.
The incident comes amid growing concerns over language-based intimidation in Maharashtra, especially after MNS workers recently targeted bank staff for not speaking Marathi.
