Pre-poll high drama ensues at police station between MNS and Congress in Pune. Both party continue to go to loggerheads over cash for votes allegations.
Pune: A high-voltage drama erupted outside the Samarth police station on the second consecutive day on Wednesday after three employees from Bharati Vidyapeeth were booked for allegedly distributing money to voters.
MNS workers, led by their Lok Sabha candidate Deepak Paigude, staged a protest at the police station, demanding the arrest of Congress Lok Sabha candidate Vishwajeet Kadam. A heavy police bandobast was in place around the police station to control any untoward incident.
On Tuesday at around 11.30 pm, additional commissioner of police (south region) Chandrashekar Daithankar visited the police station and spoke to Paigude requesting him to call off his sit-in. On Wednesday around 12.30 pm, deputy commissioner of police (Zone II) Shirish Sardeshpande warned the MNS party workers of violation of the Bombay police act with their unlawfully assembly. With the bandobast still in place, an additional team of home guards and riot control was called at the police station, but MNS continued its agitation. After some time, Paigude directed some of the members to go at their polling booth and work for party, as the tensed situation saw an anti-climax.
On Tuesays, MNS' Prakash Pawar lodged a complaint with the Samarth police station against Surendra Vedpathak, Abhinandan Appasaheb Muke and Uday Chandrakant Patkar. The police recovered Rs16,000 in cash along with Kadam's pamphlets, and voters list ámonth other papers from the three. Badly beaten up by the MNS workers, the three are undergoing treatment at a private hospital.
Daithankar said, "Vishwajit Kadam was named in the FIR. MNS workers thrashed the three booked and handed them over to the police."
On Wednesday, Congress party workers marched to the police station to lodge a complaint against MNS, with Muke being the complainant in the case.
Muke's lawyer Dattatray Dixit said, "The trio were part of congress rally and were distributing slips to citizens. MNS party workers started abusing them and forcibly snatched away their handbills and stole a gold chain of Rs60,000 along with a mobile handset. Later, they took the trio to MNS party office and checked their bags. They restrained the three in a room and started beating them. Before we could explain, MNS workers started fabricating the entire incident before the police and media."
During his agitation, Paigude said, "All three arrested suspects are employee of Bharati Vidyapeeth run by the Kadam family. Vedpathak has been a faculty for last 21 years. I will not leave the police station unless the police take action against Vishwajeet."
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}