Mumbai, July 7 (IANS) Social media influencer Rajshree More on Monday alleged that Raheel Sheikh, son of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) state Vice-President Javed Sheikh, assaulted her while intoxicated inside his car, boasted of his connections, and later, attempts were made to dissuade her from filing an FIR.
A video that surfaced on Monday showed a nearly naked Raheel Sheikh, shirtless and allegedly drunk, verbally abusing More and identifying himself as the son of an MNS leader. Immediately after, the Shiv Sena-UBT demanded action, and authorities arrested Sheikh on charges of outraging a woman’s modesty, negligent driving, and verbal abuse. An FIR was registered at the Amboli Police Station, and he remains in custody.
In an exclusive interview with IANS, Rajshree More claimed he deliberately targeted her vehicle, hit it, and endangered nearby pedestrians.
“I was driving when his Innova smashed into my vehicle from behind. Then it advanced, struck me again, and damaged my car badly. He didn’t stop. He nearly ran over three pedestrians walking in front of me and many more behind. It was a wild, drunken rampage.”
She further recounted with shock how Sheikh was nearly naked and unapologetic.
“He was drunk, his pants had fallen down, and his dirty belly hanging down. He wildly abused me, declaring, ‘I am Raheel Sheikh, son of Javed Sheikh. Go to the police station tomorrow morning and find out who my father is’.”
More said Javed Sheikh tried to convince her not to proceed legally:
“They begged me not to file an FIR – ‘his career will be ruined’. I asked what ‘studying at 27’ meant; they couldn’t answer. They promised to send him abroad. He’s 27 – not exactly a student. I asked how they could trust a drunk behind the wheel. They pleaded for apologies, but I stood firm.”
More said, a senior Amboli police officer assured her that the FIR would be properly recorded. By late Sunday, she was “completely satisfied” with the police response.
Pressed about the larger stir over Maharashtra’s language politics, especially the ongoing Hindi-Marathi tensions, More emphasised that her protest is not anti-Marathi, but against arrogance:
“This isn’t Marathi vs Non-Marathi. This is Marathi vs Marathi. I told them non-Marathis come here to earn a living, often living far from family. They travel, work hard. Instead of targeting them, Marathi folks should lead by example and work hard themselves.”
More added that expecting immigrants to learn Marathi overnight is unrealistic.
“People struggling to meet basic needs don’t have time for language lessons. When you demand Marathi proficiency in 2025, years after moving here, it’s unrealistic. Language won’t fill potholes or create jobs.”
Defending her stance, she said: “Of the 45 people working with me, 30 are Marathi, 20 non-Marathi. Language is not a barrier—humanity is. We must speak in whatever tongue we understand. Language alone won’t feed us.”
Describing Rahee Sheikh’s actions as “hooliganism”, More dismissed any cultural or linguistic justification:
“This is not heroism, but cowardly hooliganism fueled by political influence. Wearing a political badge doesn’t give one the right to abuse or intimidate.”
Despite attempts to portray her as politically motivated, More insisted she is not from any political party.
“No political allegiance—Congress, BJP, none. If I were affiliated, they’d paint me as biased. But I’m an independent influencer. My clients and colleagues aren’t primarily Marathi. I stood up not for politics, but for justice,” she added.
–IANS
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