Pune: In a dramatic turn of events on the eve of the Pune Lok Sabha elections, Mahavikas Aghadi candidate Ravindra Dhangekar staged a sit-in protest in front of the Sahakarnagar police station on Sunday, alleging that BJP members were distributing money in the slum areas under the police station’s jurisdiction.
Dhangekar accused the BJP of attempting to influence voters and criticised the police for not taking action despite his formal complaint. “I will not leave this police station until action is taken against those distributing money,” Dhangekar declared during the protest. The situation escalated as Dhangekar, along with his supporters, refused to disperse, leading to the police registering a case against them.
Police officer Abhijit Tukaram Balgude (age 32) lodged a complaint at the Sahakarnagar police station regarding the incident. Consequently, Nitin Madhukar Kadam, Ravindra Dhangekar, Sachin Dede, Akshay Mane, Saqib Abaji, Santosh Pandit, Anil Satpute, and 35 to 40 other activists have been booked under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 143, 145, 149, and 188. They have also been charged under the Maharashtra Police Act and the Representation of People Act.
The police complaint states that Dhangekar and his supporters violated a ban on gatherings and the general election code of conduct by assembling illegally and chanting slogans. “Ravindra Dhangekar and his workers violated the police order and the election code of conduct,” the complaint notes.
Further investigation into the incident is being conducted by Police Sub-Inspector Kalpana Kale.
