MUMBAI: A close aide of jailed underworld don Chhota Rajan and 13 others have been asked to leave the Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg Lok Sabha constituency in coastal Maharashtra where polling is underway.
Nilesh Paradkar, an alleged henchman of the don and his aides were camping in Sindhudurg during the poll campaigning, according to police said.
Photographs of Paradkar purportedly sharing a stage with Maharashtra Minister of State (Home) Deepak Kesarkar and Shiv Sena-BJP alliance candidate Vinayak Raut were circulated on the social media.
Acting on a tipoff, police raided a hotel in Kankavli and detained Paradkar and his aides, the official said, adding, he has many cases registered against him in Mumbai.
"The 14 persons were asked to leave the (Lok Sabha) constituency as they are not local residents. They do not have any criminal record in Sindhudurg. Nothing suspicious was found against them during questioning," said Dixit Gedam, Superintendent of Police.