Pune: Journalist held in connection with MSRTC protests outside Sharad Pawar's Mumbai residence

Mumbai: A journalist was arrested from Pune in connection with an alleged attack on NCP chief Sharad Pawar incident on Wednesday, news agency ANI reported. He is being brought to Mumbai for questioning.

At least 115 people have been arrested in the matter so far, out of which 109 have been sent into judicial custody.

A group of MSRTC employees, who are on strike, had staged a fiery protest outside Pawar's bungalow on Pedder Road in south Mumbai on April 8 afternoon, accusing him of not doing anything to help them.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) workers held agitations in Pune to condemn the attack on supremo Sharad Pawar’s residence in Mumbai on Friday and demanded the arrest of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) employees’ leader Gunwant Sadavarte.

Sadavarte, who represents the striking workers of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation, was arrested along with several MSRTC workers by Mumbai police last week after they staged a protest outside NCP chief Sharad Pawar's residence.

The incident sent ripples through the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government with Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray condemning the striking employees’ action and state Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil calling on the police brass to investigate why they failed to anticipate the violent protest.

The protests took place a day after the Bombay High Court disposed the contempt plea filed in a writ petition moved by MSRTC against striking employees and directed the corporation to drop charges against the staffers and reinstate those who were terminated if they resume work by April 22.