A bizarre and brutal incident has unfolded in Thane West, where a 60-year-old man has been booked for allegedly biting off a portion of his 45-year-old neighbor's finger, including the nail. The shocking assault, according to police, stemmed from a heated argument over the installation of a bench within their housing society. The injured resident, Vishal Sunil Devre, is currently receiving medical attention at Jupiter Hospital in Vartak Nagar. Police have registered a case against the accused, identified as Santosh Lokre, under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and a thorough investigation is now underway.
According to police reports, the incident occurred on Sunday evening at Sneha Society in Shivai Nagar, Thane West. Vishal Devre had arranged for a welder to permanently secure a bench to the society's compound wall, citing its obstruction to the movement of vehicles. However, Santosh Lokre, another resident of the society, vehemently opposed the installation, leading to a confrontation with Devre. The verbal exchange quickly spiraled into a physical altercation, as stated by the police. Lokre allegedly began by verbally abusing Devre before launching a physical attack, biting his right index finger with extreme force, causing it to be nearly severed. "He bit me with such force that my finger was severed near the nail. I was in shock and pain," Devre recounted to reporters from his hospital bed, detailing the gruesome injury.Devre's wife and the welder who were present at the scene immediately came to his aid and rushed him to Jupiter Hospital for treatment. Doctors have confirmed the severity of the injury to his finger, indicating that surgery may be necessary.
The Vartak Nagar police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Lokre under sections 117(2) (voluntarily causing grievous hurt), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), and 352 (intentional insult) of the BNS. "We have registered an FIR based on the victim’s complaint and statements from witnesses. Further investigation is underway to ascertain the full sequence of events and the exact motive behind this unusual assault," a Vartak Nagar police officer confirmed. The incident has left residents of Sneha Society in shock and disbelief over the extreme violence that erupted from a seemingly minor disagreement.