'Sena workers stabbed me'

Youth Congress block president from Antop Hill, Ranganathan Iyer, alleges he was kidnapped and by Shiv Sena workers, who told him to stop working for Congress

Youth Congress block president from Antop Hill, Ranganathan Iyer, alleges he was kidnapped and by Shiv Sena workers, who told him to stop working for Congress

Ranganathan Iyer, a 28-year-old Youth Congress block president, was kidnapped and stabbed last night by four unidentified men allegedly from the Shiv Sena at Antop Hill. He was later abandoned near Imax Theatre, Wadala.

The four men were waiting near Iyer's residence whenu00a0 he returned from a rally along with another Youth Congress member Karthik Devendra. The kidnappers pushed Devendra out of the driver's seat, and drove away.

"They brandished a revolver and stabbed me on my back and right shoulder with a knife.

Injured: Iyer was stabbed in the back and right shoulder

One of the goons had been making threatening calls to me asking me to stop working for the Congress," said Iyer, who is recuperating at Sion Hospital.

Iyer and other Youth Congress workers allege that the four men are Shiv Sena activists, who branded Iyer's forehead with a Sena symbol when they threw him out of the car near Imax Theatre.

However, the police say that they did not find any mark resembling the Shiv Sena on Iyer.

M M Deshmukh from the Antop Hill police stationu00a0 said, "We are investigating the matter.

We have been searching the place where the four left Iyer and are taking Devendra's help to identify the accused."
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Sandeep Katke, secretary, Youth Congress (south central) said, "On Saturday, Iyer had informed me about the threat calls.

As elections are around the corner, such threats are common. Hence, we did not take any action or inform the police."

Attempts to call local Sena activists from Antop Hill proved futile.