A retired civic worker was allegedly beaten to death following a parking dispute near Dadar TT in central Mumbai on Sunday night, with Matunga police arresting two men in connection with the case. Police said that after retirement, Narottam Waghela, 63, had taken up the role of managing the parking spot, and was known to aggressively shoo away vehicle drivers. In some cases, he would allegedly deflate the tyres of vehicles parked despite his objections.
The deceased, Naresh alias Narottam Waghela, 63, a retired BMC garbage collector, had been working as a standee at a small informal parking spot near the Dadar TT flyover, where he would sit near his scooty and keep watch on the roadside space, often confronting motorists who attempted to park there. Illustratoins/Uday Mohite
The Matunga police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for assault and murder. The accused duo have been booked and remanded to police custody, while further investigations are underway.
Background of Waghelas
Waghela had consumed alcohol before the incident. His wife told police that he was a habitual drinker and would often consume alcohol before sitting at the spot. Savita works as a domestic help. She and Narottam lived in Pratiksha Nagar in Sion, but their home was demolished.
Narottam Waghela. PIC/BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
They moved to a chawl in Dadar, but were evicted as they couldn’t pay rent. For the past few weeks, they lived under the Dadar TT bridge. Savita said they managed their livelihood with the payment she got from doing household work and Waghela’s pension.
Wife witnessed assault
According to Savita, Waghela’s wife, who was standing near the spot, the duo allegedly slapped her husband during the confrontation. “They hit him, and he fell to the ground,” 45-year-old Savita said.
Savita Waghela points to the spot where her husband was assaulted. PIC/SAYYED SAMEER ABEDI
“They dragged my husband from under the bridge to the other side of the road near the bus stop and then assaulted him again, knocking him to the ground. They even placed a knee on his chest while punching him by grabbing his shirt. Then they fled. I tried to wake up my husband, but he became unresponsive.”
Died due to injuries
Waghlela was rushed to KEM Hospital by Savita and bystanders, where he was declared dead on arrival. Post-mortem findings confirmed that he died due to head injuries sustained during the assault, said senior police officers.
Savita Waghela at the spot where Narottam objected to the car being parked. PIC/SAYYED SAMEER ABEDI
Night of the murder
Around 9.30 pm on April 12, a car arrived at the spot with driver Shanawaz Shaikh and car owner Sahil Ghadge, who were attempting to park briefly. “They had come from Pune to Mumbai, and wanted to take a short break, hence wanted to park,” said a police officer. “However, Waghela objected and began shouting at them, leading to an argument that quickly escalated.” Police officers added that after being slapped, Waghela fell. The accused then grabbed his shirt and shoved him back and forth, causing his head to repeatedly hit the road.
