Executive editor of a Marathi daily based in Aurangabad in Maharashtra was manhandled by four persons on Sunday who also tried to blacken his face over the publication of a news item regarding former Congress MP and Maharashtra Swabhiman Paksha leader Nilesh Rane, police said.

Five persons reached the office of the newspaper around 1.30 pm and confronted the executive editor Ravindra Tahakik over the news item, an official said.