The Thane Police on Tuesday registered a case against senior NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Jitendra Awhad and at least 100 others for allegedly roughing up spectators at a multiplex screening the Marathi movie "Har Har Mahadev", an official said.
The incident occurred on Monday night when Awhad and his supporters allegedly gatecrashed into the multiplex in Thane city and disrupted the show over the alleged "distortion of history".
According to the complaint, when spectators demanded a refund and passed comments regarding the disruption, Awhad and his supporters roughed up some of them.
No arrest is made so far and the investigation is underway, the official said.
A case has been registered against Awhad on the complaint of a spectator under various sections of the Indian Penal Code pertaining to unlawful assembly and sections 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) and 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), and the Maharashtra Police Act.
After the disruption, the show was resumed by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) activists.
Former Rajya Sabha member and Kolhapur royal family scion Sambhaji Chhatrapati on Sunday warned that if facts are found distorted in any upcoming films based on legendary warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, he would oppose such movies and take all efforts to stall their release.
Sambhaji Chhatrapati, who is a descendent of Shivaji Maharaj, had also expressed displeasure over the Marathi films 'Har Har Mahadev' (released recently) and 'Vedat Marathe Veer Daudale Saat' (an upcoming project).
In Pune city, the screening of "Har Har Mahadev" was disrupted by members of Sambhaji Brigade, a Maratha outfit, on Monday.
A Sambhaji Brigade leader had alleged that the history was distorted in 'Har Har Mahadev' while in 'Vedat Marathe Veer Daudale Sath', the depiction of 'Mavle' (soldiers of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj) is frightful.
Earlier on Tuesday, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said beating up movie-goers for watching 'Har Har Mahadev' will not be tolerated and action will be taken against people involved in such incidents.
Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Fadnavis said people could have expressed their opposition democratically.
“People are permitted to register their opposition democratically. I have not seen the movie and I am not aware of the controversy,” he said.
BJP's Maharashtra women's wing chief Chitra Wagh said, “If Awhad has not realised that he is no longer in power, the law should make him realise it".
