Bandra MLA detained for ‘bribing’ voters

A sitting legislator was detained in the wee hours of polling day, for allegedly distributing cash to slumdwellers in the Bandra-Kurla Complex area.

A sitting legislator was detained in the wee hours of polling day, for allegedly distributing cash to slumdwellers in the Bandra-Kurla Complex area.

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Bandra East MLA Janardhan Chandurkar (65) of the Congress, currently seeking a third consecutive term in office, was allegedly found with Rs 15,000 in the glove compartment of his car, and a crowd of eager slumdwellers around it.

While a local Shiv Sena leader has filed a police case against him, he has responded in kind — claiming the charges are
“all part of a political conspiracy”, and filing a counter case against the Sainik.

“I was in fact on my way to inform the police about the Shiv Sena party candidate distributing cash in the Bharat Nagar slum when a mob surrounded my car and stopped me,” Chandurkar said.

The Shiv Sena leader, Ibrahim Shaikh, says he was “alerted” by a local at 3 am on Tuesday.

“I was at home when a local came to the door and said the Congress candidate was distributing cash in the slums,” he said. “There were four cars at the spot when I got there, one of them surrounded by a large group of slumdwellers. As soon as we began to ask what was happening and move towards the vehicles, three of the cars sped away.”

The Congress candidate, who was in the remaining vehicle, was booked under the Indian Penal Code, for violating the electoral code of conduct.

Detained for questioning, he was released at 9.30 am.

“Eyewitness have told us they saw a wad of notes in the legislator’s car,” said Police Sub-Inspector Shivnath Vyavhare. “The matter is under investigation.”

The Nehru Nagar police, meanwhile, filed a case of violation of code of conduct against three candidates from Kurla — Mangesh Kudalkar (Shiv Sena), Sadashiv Lokhande (MNS) and Milind Kamble (NCP) for allegedly distributing utensils with their names engraved on them, on the day of the election.