MNS leader blames Uddhav camp as cops nab two for attack

Mumbai: The Mumbai Crime Branch on Saturday morning arrested two men for allegedly attacking Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Sandeep Deshpande at Shivaji Park when he went for a morning walk

Mumbai: The Mumbai Crime Branch on Saturday morning arrested two men for allegedly attacking Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Sandeep Deshpande at Shivaji Park when he went for a morning walk.

Mumbai, India - October 10, 2016: MNS Corporators Sandeep Deshpande and Santosh Dhuri released from jail after being booked for humiliation of BMC engineer Sanjay Darade on potholes row in Mumbai, India, on Monday, October 10, 2016. (Photo by Sandeep Mahankal/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

The accused are identified as Ashok Shankar Kharat (56) and Kishan Solanki (36).

As per the police, Kharat – the main accused – is the vice president of Mathadi and General Kamgar Sena and all the others acted on his instructions.

“Kharat has several cases registered against him, like murder and extortion and was even booked under stringent provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA). Bhandup police have also booked him earlier for an attempt to murder,” said DCP Prashant Kadam of the Mumbai Crime branch.

Kharat – a resident of Bhandup (West) – has even twice contested civic elections on the tickets of Lok Janshakti Party that was formed by Ram Vilas Paswan in 2000 and lost both times.

“Kharat is influential in Bhandup. We have found his photos with Nilesh Paradkar, alleged close aide of gangster Chhota Rajan. Paradkar was in January arrested for celebrating gangster Rajan’s birthday in Chembur. He is the president of Maharashtra Mathadi and General Kamgar Sena (associated with Uddhav Thackeray group of Shiv Sena),” said a police officer.

The police have transferred the case to Anti-Extortion Cell (AEC) so that all the angles including the underworld angle can be investigated properly.

“It seems more of a publicity stunt. However, we are investigating all possible angles. They thought if they attack Deshpande, they will get publicity and at maximum, they will be booked for punishment for voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt, they never thought they would be booked for attempt to murder,” said a crime branch official.

“It seems that the attack is the result of my complaint against the Covid Scam in BMC. I will not succumb to such pressure and will again meet the BMC commissioner in the Covid scam case,” said Deshpande. He also indicated the involvement of the Thackeray faction leader in the attack.

Meanwhile, after hearing both sides, a magistrate court remanded both the accused to police custody till March 9.