MUMBAI: A day after comingout from jail on bail, NCP MLA and former Maharashtra minister Jitendra Awhad was again booked for molesting and outraging the modesty of a woman in Thane. The complainant alleged that Awhad pushed her while making way for himself during the dispersal of the crowd afteran event of the chief minister in Mumbra.
Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Ajit Pawar on Monday said Chief Minister Eknath Shinde should come forward and explain that nothing of this sort had happened as he was present when the crowdwas being dispersed after an event held in Mumbra in Thane district on Sunday evening.
The Mumbra police registered a case after midnight on Monday against Awhad under Indian Penal Code section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage hermodesty). Interestingly, the same woman had a verbal dispute with Awhad and hisparty workers during Chhath Pooja.
Awhad is the MLA from Mumbra-Kalwa set in Thane district. “Police lodged two fake complaints against me including on charges under IPC 354. I am deciding to resign as MLA.I will fight against such police atrocities against me. I cannot see the murder of democracy with my eyes,’ Awhad tweeted on Monday.
Awhad was arrested on Friday after he and his supporters stopped a show of the Marathi movie “Har Har Mahadev” at a multiplex in Thane city alleging “a distorted portrayalof Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj”. He was granted bail by a court on Saturday.
Ajit Pawar said, “I insist that the way this case (against Awhad)has been registered in the wrong manner, it should be withdrawn. CM Eknath Shinde was there at the programme and Awhad was also present at the event. He (Awhad) is seen in the video asking people to move aside (to make way) and was also seen trying to make the woman step aside. Nothing else happened. Even though Shinde was just 10 meters away from the spot, this kind of offence was registered,” said Pawar.