Mumbai ,August 11, 2026

The death of municipal electricity department contract worker Dheeraj Pardeshi after a violent assault has triggered protests and heightened tensions in Maharashtra’s Ahilyanagar. Pardeshi, who worked as a wireman, was attacked on August 7 while carrying out repair work and installing lights near the Dargadaira graveyard in Mukundnagar. He suffered serious injuries and died during treatment on Sunday, August 9, after spending three days in hospital.

According to media reports, Pardeshi and his colleagues had gone to the area for official work when a group of around 10 to 15 people allegedly attacked him. He was reportedly beaten with sticks and other tools, sustaining severe injuries to his head and other parts of his body. The Bhingar Camp police registered a case and arrested four suspects identified as Yunus Sheikh, Mehraj Syed, Siraj Syed and Mustaqeem Syed. Police said three accused involved in the fatal assault had fled to Hyderabad, while the search for others involved in the incident continued.

Pardeshi’s death has led to anger among local Hindu organisations and municipal employees. Members of the Sakal Hindu Samaj gathered outside the hospital and called for a city bandh, while municipal workers announced an indefinite strike demanding the arrest of all those responsible and improved security for civic employees. MLAs Sangram Jagtap and Akshay Kardile also joined the protests and later blocked a road near the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue at the old bus stand. Jagtap questioned the police claim that the assault was linked to an old dispute and demanded that investigators identify the main conspirators. “Dheeraj and his colleagues had gone to work as wiremen. However, the police are saying that the incident took place due to an old dispute and that the accused suddenly saw Dheeraj there,” Jagtap said.

Pardeshi’s family and some local leaders have alleged that his Hindu identity and support for Hindutva were connected to the attack, including a claim that he was targeted for wearing a Tilak. The exact motive remains under investigation. His wife has demanded that his last rites be conducted at the same graveyard where she alleges he was attacked, saying, “They took my husband to the graveyard and killed him. I will also perform the last rites at the same place.” The family has sought strict punishment, including the death penalty. Ahilyanagar Superintendent of Police Mummaka Sudarshan has appealed to citizens to maintain peace and warned against spreading rumours or taking the law into their own hands. Police have increased deployment in the city as the investigation continues and authorities work to prevent further escalation.