Cops say drunk man detained briefly for call on threat to Maha CM Shinde's life

Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde said he trusts the state home department and its head and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis as far as such issues are concerned.

Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde said on Sunday that he does not pay attention to reports of a threat to his life. He said he trusts the state home department and its head and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis as far as such issues are concerned. He further said such threats cannot scare him and he would continue to serve the state.

File photo of Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde. (HT Print)

Shinde's security has been beefed up following a specific input about a threat to his life, an official earlier said. According to a PTI report, the State Intelligence Department (SID) had received the input on Saturday evening.

Later, it was reported that a man under the influence of alcohol had called up the police helpline from Lonavala. A case has been registered under Section 177 of the IPC against the man, identified as Avinash Waghmare, by the Pune rural police. He was briefly detained.

Pune rural police filed offence under section 177 of IPC against who called on 112 (police helpline number) claiming that plan is being hatched to kill Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. According to police, Waghmare was under influence of alcohol when he called up on Police helpline from Lonavla. The police detained him for few hours before letting him go.

“I don't pay attention to it. Our home department and home minister Devendra Fadanavis are capabale and we trust them. I won't be scared of such threats. Nobody can stop me from working for the public. I will continue to work for them,” Shinde told reporters.

State intelligence commissioner Ashutosh Dumbre, "After specific information, we have taken necessary action and have increased the security of the chief minister."

The CM, who enjoys a Z Plus category security cover, is being provided with additional protection.

The report further said security has also been raised at Shinde's private residence in Thane and the official residence 'Varsha' in Mumbai, he said.

Shinde, who engineered a rebellion in the Shiv Sena and became the chief minister in June end after toppling the Uddhav Thackeray-led coalition government, is scheduled to address his first Dussehra rally at the MMRDA grounds in Mumbai on October 5.

Speaking about the Bombay high court's ruling in this regard that allowed Thackeray's faction to hold a Dussehra rally at the Shivaji Park in Mumbai, Shinde said the same would not be challenged in the high court.

"We respect the Bombay High Court's decision and will not challenge it in Supreme Court," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Last October, Shinde had received a threat letter suspected to have been sent by Maoists when he was the urban development minister and also guardian minister of Gadchiroli district.

(With inputs from agencies)