The Chaturshringi police station has filed a case against Kasba MLA Ravindra Dhangekar for allegedly verbally abusing a municipal officer, as confirmed by a police official on Tuesday.
Nandkishor Jagtap, the head of the water supply department at the Pune Municipal Corporation, lodged a complaint, leading to charges against Dhangekar for obstructing government work under IPC section 353.
The incident occurred during the inauguration of a water tank in the Asha Nagar area, Gokhalenagar, on Republic Day, where Dhangekar and others protested, falsely claiming credit for the work attributed to Bharatiya Janata Party leaders.
Dhangekar is accused of verbally abusing and threatening Nandkishor Jagtap, and an audio recording of the incident circulated on social media, prompting protests from municipal officials and criticism from Bharatiya Janata Party office bearers.
Following Jagtap's complaint, the case against Dhangekar was officially registered on Monday night.
Here's what Dhangekar said
In response, Dhangekar asserted, "Because of my increasing popularity and the support of the residents, the ruling party is conspiring to imprison me. If I verbally abused the municipal officer, the police could have issued a notice. However, it is concerning that false clauses like 353 have been inserted, claiming that government work was obstructed. Despite facing constant harassment from the BJP, I remain committed to social work and have the unwavering support of the people."
Dhangekar continued, "A case has been filed against me, and an illegal protest was staged against me in the PMC. The protest organised by the Union of Engineers lacked proper permissions from the Municipal Corporation or the Security Department. Holding any meeting on the lawn is prohibited. Therefore, action should be taken against the organisers of the assembly and those who engage in such behaviour. The police are taking action against me due to their displeasure because I raised the issue of action against Ex Sassoon dean Dr Sanjiv Thakur in the Lalit Patil case."
Vendetta by Pune Police: Dhangekar
Regarding the water supply tank inauguration in Asha Nagar, Gokhalenagar, Dhangekar claimed, "It was a BJP-sponsored event, and the police inspector at Chaturshringi police station, Balaji Pandhre, prevented me and physically assaulted the senior Congress leader accompanying me. Journalists were also subjected to violence, prompting me to speak out. I bear no personal animosity, but I advocate for administrative accountability in the interest of the citizens. The police's strategy of filing cases against me and attempting to imprison me is an old tactic. The allegations against me are the handiwork of the BJP, and their methods are flawed. I was previously jailed for 15 days for raising my voice against illegal tenders, ultimately saving Pune residents ₹30 crores in the removal of hyacinth from the river."
This is not the first instance involving Dhangekar, as he was previously implicated in a 2019 case related to malpractice in a water plant. In that incident, he threw a slipper at the then Additional Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation, Rajendra Nimbalkar, resulting in the registration of a case against him.
Recently, BJP's Sunil Kamble, the legislator from Pune Cantonment constituency, allegedly hit an on-duty constable at the city's Sassoon General Hospital, where he had gone to attend an event. Later, a case was registered against Kamble on a complaint by the policeman.
