Former Pune mayor, other NCP leaders arrested for violating Covid protocol

Over 400-500 people attended the party office’s inauguration by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on June 19 at 5pm

Former Pune mayor and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) city president Prashant Jagtap was arrested by the Shivajinagar Police on Monday for violating Covid-19 protocol during the inauguration of the new party office in Shivajinagar on Saturday. Jagtap was arrested and later released on bail along with a few other party office bearers who had been booked in the case. A large number of NCP workers had gathered at the spot after the news of the arrests spread via social media.

Prashant Jagtap. (Source: Twitter)

Jagtap was among the six office-bearers, including party youth leader Mahesh Hande, Pradeep Deshmukh, Nilesh Nikam and Rohan Paygude, Balasaheb Bodake, booked according to a statement issued by Shivajinagar police station that suo motu filed a case under sections 188, 269, 270 of Indian Penal Code, Section 51(b) of National Disaster Management Act, and Section 11 of Maharashtra Covid-19 Regulations. Hande had applied for permission at Shivajinagar police station to hold the inauguration of the new party office, and the application stated that the people in attendance at the event would strictly follow Covid-19 norms.

Over 400-500 people attended the party office’s inauguration by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on June 19 at 5pm.

The officials did not maintain enough social distance and some did not wear masks, a statement released from Shivajinagar police station said.