15 booked in Maha for altercation over bursting of crackers

An argument over bursting of crackers led to an altercation between two groups in Thane district of Maharashtra, police said on Tuesday.

At least 15 people have been booked in this connection, a police spokesperson said.

According to one of the complainants, a Dalit woman who is a former corporator, her minor son was bursting crackers in Kalyan area to celebrate the Indian Air Force's air strike on February 26 when he asked a man, who was passing by, to be careful.

This led to an argument between the two following which the man allegedly slapped the boy and ran away, the official said.

Later, when the woman confronted the man, he along with some of his associates allegedly thrashed the mother-son duo on Sunday and threatened them with dire consequences, the spokesperson said.

The woman approached the police who booked a case against the man and his seven aides under various Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections, including rioting, harassment and criminal intimidation, and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the official said.

The accused man also lodged a cross-complaint against the woman and her son.

Based on his complaint, the police registered offences against the woman, her son and five others under various IPC sections, the official said.

No arrest has been made so far, the police said, adding that a probe was underway.