Zeenews Bureau

Mumbai: A Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) corporator, who was caught on camera repeatedly slapping a senior citizen over a delay in repairing a damaged water pipeline, was arrested by the authorities on Monday.

According to reports, MNS corporator Nitin Nikam was later produced in a local court, which released him on a bail.

The incident happened when Nikam summoned 65-year-old DG Patil, who had taken up a contract for repairing a water pipeline in Kalyan, following complaints about delays in water pipeline repair work in the area that had led to water scarcity.

Nikam, a corporator of the Kalyan–Dombivli civic body, got angry with Patil over the delay in repairing works and repeatedly slapped him- the footage of which were aired on a ABP Mhaza, a Marathi news channel.

Patil later lodged a complaint with Kolsewadi Police Station and a non-cognisable offence was registered against Nikam under Section 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code.

However, Nikam justified his reprehensible behaviour, saying he “used the (only) language these people understand, which is the language of the muscle.”

MNS chief Raj Thackeray, when made aware of the incident, got upset and vowed to take action against the corporator.

Reacting to the development, MNS party General Secretary (Legal) Akhilesh Chaubey said, “We can’t tolerate a senior citizen being slapped. Raj Thackeray was upset seeing the visuals,” said

The slapping incident has come as a major embarrassment for the MNS, which had promised during election time that the party and its corporators would not get engaged in shameless acts.