Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Jitendra Awhad's claim that fake cases were being registered against him, senior party leader Ajit Pawar said the case against party MLA had been registered in a wrong manner and it needs to be withdrawn.
The police in Thane district have registered a case against Awhad under section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the Indian Penal Code following a complaint by a woman.
Speaking to the reporters here, Pawar said, I insist that the way this case (against Awhad) has been registered in the wrong manner, it should be withdrawn.
Awhad tweeted that he would resign, as he was fed up of the misuse of police after two offences were registered against him. First of all, I would like to appeal to Awhad not to take such a step, the NCP leader said.
The complainant alleged that the NCP leader had pushed her while making way for himself during the dispersal of a crowd after an event of the chief minister in Mumbra on Sunday evening, as per the First Information Report (FIR).
Expressing his displeasure about the recent incidents involving Awhad, Pawar said when the screening of Marathi film 'Har Har Mahadev' was disrupted, the person who was beaten up himself informed that Awhad had protected him. But a case was registered against the NCP leader and he was kept in a police station overnight.
In the second incident, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was there at the programme and Awhad was also present at the event. He 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. Despite the fact that Shinde was standing just 10 meters away from the spot, this kind of offence was registered, Pawar said.