Navi Mumbai Sena chief surrenders, gets bail

Chougule has 3 charges against him — threatening a rival candidate, trespassing and assaulting a woman and also violating restrictions on assembly of people after winning elections, reports G Mohiuddin Jeddy.

Shiv Sena Navi Mumbai chief and Airoli corporator Vijay Chougule surrendered at CBD Belapur police station amid much drama on Monday.

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He was later released on bail.

Chougule has three charges against him — threatening a rival candidate and his advocate with a revolver and assaulting them in January, trespassing and assaulting a woman on February 9 and also violating restrictions on assembly of people after winning elections.

Chougule said: “My rival Ganesh Naik is trying to malign me by pressurising the police to register false cases against me. Bailable offences are being turned into non-bailable ones.” He further alleged: “False criminal cases had been registered against my brother Devidas and he was then murdered, making it look like a result of his criminal connections. The same is being attempted now with me.”

Naik’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) denied the charges. Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation’s Deputy Mayor Shahshikant Birajdar, a close Naik associate, said: “We have nothing to do with Chougule since he left our party. All the allegations are baseless and politically motivated. This is being done to get police security that has been withdrawn from him.”

Meanwhile, Navi Mumbai Commissioner of Police Ramrao Wagh, said: “Vijay Chougule had applied for anticipatory bail which was denied. He knew we were going to arrest him and that would have been embarrassing for him. This is the reason he himself decided to surrender. The law will take its course. There is no question of any bias against him.”