Mumbai police arrest seven alleged Mathadi union workers for assaulting man; MCOCA case filed, four wanted

Representative image | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto The Mumbai Police have recently arrested seven men who are allegedly involved in an organised gang under the name of a Mathadi workers’ union group for allegedly assaulting a 27-year-old man with wooden sticks in an attempt to kill him while trying to extort money in the MIDC-Andheri area, the police said on Thursday (September 3, 2026). The police have invoked the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against this gang.A case was registered on August 17, 2026, at MIDC police station under Sections 109(1), 189(1), 189(2), 190, 191(2), 118(2), 352, 308(4) and 61(1)(A). Police subsequently invoked Sections 3(1)(ii), 3(2) and 3(4) of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, 1999, after obtaining prior approval from the competent authority.The seven accused - Puran Arun Singh alias Chadda, 39; Rohit Madhukar Salunkhe, 27; Imran Basudidan Havaldar, 37; Suresh Gulabchand Goud alias Kisan, 30; Akash Mansingh Singh alias Nepali, 30; Rajkumar Selvan Munnuswamy alias Lala; and Arjun Muniyaan Muttu alias Daku, 37, have been arrested. Four others, including alleged gang leader Kannan Chinnadurai Vanniyar, alias Bada Kanna, are wanted.According to Police Inspector Manojkumar Mane, the accused allegedly conspired to extort money in the name of a Mathadi workers’ union and attacked 27-year-old Nadim Nasrudin Sheikh, who belonged to another faction of the Mathadi workers’ union. “Each faction of the union in Mumbai handles several different areas. Mr. Sheikh belonged to another union group that was hired to renovate a 7,700 sq. ft. office. But Singh and his gang did not allow the work to proceed, stating that the office came under their area, and demanded to be paid,” Mr. Mane said.He was allegedly beaten on the head and legs with wooden sticks with the intention of killing him, according to the police.Police said that the arrested and wanted accused were allegedly operating as an organised gang under the name of a Mathadi workers’ group. Vanniyar, who is currently wanted, has been identified by police as the alleged gang leader.The police also alleged that Vanniyar and other gang members used violence, threats, and intimidation to establish their dominance and extract money from industrialists, construction professionals, and traders. The gang would allegedly stop vehicles and demand ‘Varai’ or protection money, despite not carrying out Mathadi work, and in some instances, they would allegedly assault victims using swords, knives and other weapons.Police said the alleged activities were carried out for the financial benefit of the gang and to maintain its dominance in the area. The arrested and wanted accused were previously booked in several cases involving offences such as attempt to murder, extortion and causing grievous hurt, according to the police.Further investigation into the gang’s alleged activities, it’s financial operations and the involvement of the wanted accused is underway, police said.The Mathadi Workers’ Union, started by former BJP MP Annadaheb Patil in 1966, represents head-loaders and manual workers in Maharashtra, India, who handle loading, unloading, and stacking goods. The formation of these unions across Maharashtra led to the Maharashtra Mathadi Act of 1969, which established government-regulated boards, fixed wages, and social security to protect workers from exploitation. Published - September 05, 2026 11:13 am IST