Summary:
Pune, Jan 20 (PTI) A former sarpanch and his wife allegedly thrashed an on-duty woman forest guard, who is three months pregnant, along with her husband at a village in Satara district of Maharashtra, following which the accused couple has been arrested, police said on Thursday.
The incident took place on Wednesday at Palsawade village in the western Maharashtra district, located around 120 kms from here, and a complaint in this connection was lodged by the woman forest guard, they said.
According to police, the accused man, Ramchandra Jankar, who is president of the village forest management committee, was angry with the woman forest guard for taking the contractual forest labourers along with her "without his permission".
A video of the assault incident has gone viral on social media.
Sharing the video on his Twitter handle on Thursday, Maharashtra Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray said, "The accused has been arrested this morning and will face the law at its strictest.
Such acts will not be tolerated." Satara Superintendent of Police (SP) Ajay Kumar Bansal said the accused is a former sarpanch of the village and president of the local forest management committee.