4 youths try to drown cop during Ganesh festival

THANE: A shocking video of a policeman being pushed into a lake and four youths of a local Ganesh Utsav mandal trying to drown him in Kalyan townwhip has gone viral here.  The youths had earlier objected to being disciplined by the policeman Niteen Dondu Dagale. On the occasion of immersion of the Ganpati idols last evening, sub-inspector Dagale (38), attached to Kolsewadi Police Station in Kalyan, was on bandobust duty at Teesgaon Talao of the town. He was controlling the crowd assembled for the immersion and was disciplining the members of various mandals. The members of the Jari Mari Ganesh Utsav mandal were also asked to follow queue system. However, some youths of the mandal objected to being disciplined and picked up a quarrel with Dagale. Later, the youths allegedly pushed him into the lake. When Dagale tried to come out of the water, one of the four youths jumped in and again allegedly tried to drown him but in vain, a senior police officer said. Dagale, however, managed to save himself by swimming out of the lake. The video of the incident showed people indulging in revelry while no one came to the rescue of the police officer. The accused youths are said to supporters of a local politician and were arrested by Wednesday evening after a manhunt was launched by police. The Kolsewadi Police has registered offences against the four accused under IPC sections 307 (attempt to murder), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions) read with 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention).