Man dubbed outsider, brutally assaulted by three persons for playing village cricket tournament

A man was thrashed allegedly by three persons who accused him of taking part in a cricket tournament in Ratnagiri district in Maharashtra despite being an ''outsider'', a police official said on Thursday. Jayesh Janardhan Khot (36) was seriously injured in the assault that took place in the early hours of Sunday in Aare in Guhagar, some 290 kilometres from here, the official added. ''Khot, who stays in Kalyan in Thane and works with Rapido, had gone to his native Guhagar to play a tournament as part of Adarsh Krida Mandal cricket team. Other cricket teams of the village raised objections claiming he was an outsider and not a local resident,'' the official said. In the early hours of Sunday, Khot was attacked allegedly by Omkar Borkar, Avinahsh Shetye and Saiprasad Borkar when the victim was sitting with his kin outside his house, the official said. ''They abused Khot and hit him with a steel rod and rained punches. They fled after a seriously injured Khot fell down. He is hospitalised. Doctors have said he is out of danger,'' the official informed. Based on the complaint filed by Khot's relatives, a case was registered at Guhagar police station against Omkar Borkar, Avinash Shetye and Saiprasad Borkar under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapon of mean, intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace and other offences. ''The accused persons filed an application in court to obtain stay on their arrest. Accordingly, the court has stayed their arrest till February 20,'' the official said. Meanwhile, Khot's elderly mother protested at Guhagar police station on Wednesday over the three accused not being arrested. She said she will approach court for justice.