BJP corporator, activists held; freed in Pune

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) corporator Bhimrao Dhondiba Tapkir (50) and husband of corporator Varsha Tapkir, Vilas Mahadev Tapkir (41), along with 19 other BJP supporters were arrested by the Sahakarnagar police on Tuesday for allegedly vandalising a public transport bus and forcing shopkeepers to closing their shops to protest the removal of Dadoji Konddev statue from the historic Lal Mahal.

They were produced before judicial magistrate first class, KP Jain-Desarda. According to the prosecution, despite the city police issuing prohibitory orders, the BJP corporator and party supporters gathered in large numbers at the Dhankawadi bus stop in the morning.

They also threatened the lives of the bus driver and conductor of a Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) by breaking the windscreen of the bus.

Later, all the suspects proceeded to Balajinagar through Pune-Satara Road and terrorised the shop owners into shutting down their shops.

All the suspects have been booked under various sections pertaining to rioting, endangering life or personal safety of others of the Indian Penal Code; Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1985; Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1932 and Mumbai Police Act, 1951.

The suspects, all residents of Dhankawadi, were granted magisterial custody by a city court. However, the suspects were released on a personal bond of Rs5,000 each after defence lawyer Prasad Kulkarni moved bail applications on their behalf.