In a bizarre incident that has shocked the political circles of Pune, a Shiv Sena candidate contesting the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections was formally charged by police on Wednesday. The candidate stands accused of swallowing the nomination form of a fellow party member in a desperate act at the ward office.
The Unfolding of a Political Drama
The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon at the ward office for the Dhankawdi-Sahakarnagar constituency. According to the police complaint filed by assistant election officer and nayab tehsildar Manisha Bhutkar, the accused candidate, whose name has not been disclosed in initial reports, visited the office and requested the file containing candidate lists and forms.
Senior inspector Rahul Khilare of Bharati Vidyapeeth police station provided a detailed sequence of events. The party had initially issued an A and B nomination form to party worker Machindra Dhawale, who successfully submitted his nomination papers for Ward 36 A. Subsequently, another set of forms was issued to the accused candidate, who filed his own nomination documents just a day earlier, on Tuesday.
The Act of Desperation
After obtaining the official file, the accused candidate allegedly pulled out Dhawale's nomination form. In a shocking move, he attempted to tear the document. When officials present at the ward office intervened to stop him, the situation escalated rapidly.
Fleeing from the intervening officials, the candidate reportedly ran towards a washroom. It was there that he committed the act that led to the police case – he swallowed the nomination form belonging to his party colleague. Police confirmed that the crucial document could not be recovered following this extreme action.
Legal Repercussions and Case Registration
Following the complaint by the election officer, the Bharati Vidyapeeth police promptly registered a case against the Shiv Sena candidate. The charges invoked are serious, falling under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The accused has been booked under Section 132 of the BNS, which pertains to assault or use of criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging their duty. Additionally, he faces charges under Section 324 of the BNS, which deals with mischief. This legal action underscores the gravity with which authorities are treating an incident that directly interferes with the electoral process.
This extraordinary event highlights the intense competition and high stakes involved in local body elections in Maharashtra. The act of destroying, and in this case consuming, a rival's nomination papers points to a frantic attempt to eliminate competition, albeit through unlawful means. The case is now under police investigation as Pune prepares for its civic polls.
