Court grants pre-arrest bail to Maha MLA Jitendra Awhad in case of attack on civic official

THANE, (PTI): A court in Maharashtra’s Thane has granted pre-arrest bail to NCP leader and former minister Jitendra Awhad in a case of attack on a civic official.

Additional sessions judge A S Bhagwat on Friday granted a pre-arrest bail to Awhad in a case registered against him and some NCP workers for assaulting Assistant Municipal Commissioner Mahesh Aher of the Thane Municipal Corporation.

Aher was allegedly beaten up by NCP workers on February 15 after an audio clip of him purportedly issuing threats went viral.

The Naupada police had booked the MLA and six others under sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 307 (attempt to murder) and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and Arms Act.

Awhad, in his application, stated that he has been falsely implicated in the case and there was no prima facie case made out against him.

Opposing the plea, the prosecution argued that if the applicant is granted bail, the investigation will be hampered, and his custodial interrogation is required for due investigation.

After hearing both sides, the judge noted that the other accused in the case had assaulted the civic official claiming that the NCP leader had sent them and threatened to shoot him.

It is the complainant’s contention that the applicant had directed the other accused to kill him, the court said.

There was no evidence of criminal conspiracy between the other accused and Awhad to kill the complainant on the face of record of the case, it said, adding that the custodial interrogation of the MLA for further investigation was not necessary. (PTI)