Cyber cell to assist police in tracking ‘conspirators’ of riot outside Sharad Pawar’s house

Police have also scanned the footage of CCTVs close to Silver Oak to find out if a recce has been conducted of Pawar’s residence before the protest.

Mumbai: Gamdevi police, which has been probing the rioting incident outside Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar’s residence Silver Oak, is now taking the help of cyber police to scrutinise call data records and social media chats of protesters to find out whether they were instigated by any political party or an organisation.

On Friday, the Gamdevi police arrested 110 protesters, including 23 women and advocate Sadavarte, for rioting outside Pawar’s residence. (HT PHOTO)

Police have also scanned the footage of CCTVs close to Silver Oak to find out if a recce has been conducted of Pawar’s residence before the protest. Advocate Gunaratan Sadavarte, who has been remanded in two days’ police custody, is being interrogated by police, said a senior IPS officer.

Meanwhile, senior police inspector RJ Rajbhar was suspended on Sunday following the MSRTC workers’ protest at Silver Oak. Rajbhar was the senior inspector of Gamdevi police station -- which has the jurisdiction of the place where this incident took place on Friday. Soon after the protest, he was transferred to Local Arms unit.

Pawar’s residence Silver Oak comes under Zone 2 area which was earlier handled by deputy commissioner of police Saurabh Tripathi but after his alleged involvement in the Angadia extortion case, he was suspended and currently he is absconding.

DCP Yogesh Kumar was given the additional charge of the Zone 2 but after the MSRTC workers protest the charge was taken from him. Now, DCP Neelotpal has appointed as DCP Zone 2. Neelotpal was DCP detection.

On Friday, the Gamdevi police arrested 110 protesters, including 23 women and advocate Sadavarte, for rioting outside Pawar’s residence. As many as 104 persons were arrested from the Malabar Hill area immediately after the incident, whereas six others were arrested later in the night, police said.

A total of 109 employees of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) were produced before the court and were sent to judicial custody, while advocate Gunratan Sadavarte was sent in police custody till Monday.

Immediately after the accused were remanded to judicial custody, the 109 MSRTC employees applied for bail, which was rejected by the magistrate court. They will now move the Sessions court.

The protestors had gathered outside Silver Oak and raised slogans against Pawar, claiming that the NCP chief did nothing to fulfil their demands and even pelted stones at the house before police personnel intervened.

The police want to find out the mastermind behind the conspiracy. Police officials said that investigators suspect that the attack on Pawar’s bungalow could be pre-planned as few individuals were spotted suspiciously moving in the area to recce Pawar’s residence two days before the attack. Their movement was captured on the CCTV camera. These individuals are yet to be identified.