Amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the arrest of his son-in-law Pranjal Khewalkar in a Pune drug party raid, senior NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Eknath Khadse on Tuesday raised serious concerns over what he termed as "unauthorised police presence" during a press conference held at his daughter’s residence in Pune.
Taking to X, Khadse said, “Today, I held a press conference at my daughter’s house in Pune. During the interaction, journalists alerted me that some unknown individuals had entered the premises. Upon questioning, they claimed to be police personnel.”
Khadse alleged that nearly 10 to 12 such individuals were present, naming a few, including Head Constable Deepak Kamble, Chandrakant Rejitwad, and Police Inspector Vikram Gaur. “These officials were reportedly sent by someone called ‘Jagdale’. When we contacted Jagdale, he admitted to sending the personnel,” Khadse said.
He further questioned the legality and purpose of the action. “Who is this Jagdale? Who gave them the authority to enter my daughter’s private residence? What was their objective, and under whose orders were they acting?” he asked.
Khadse expressed concern over what he believes to be continued monitoring of his family. “Is someone holding a grudge against my family? Are we being targeted?” he said, calling the incident unprecedented.
“In my 35 to 40 years of political life, I have never seen such low-level politics,” Khadse stated, adding that he would be seeking answers and accountability from the authorities.
Calls arrest a conspiracy to defame him
Earlier today, he claimed the arrest of his son-in-law Pranjal Khewalkar in a drugs case in Pune was a conspiracy to defame him, as he had raised his voice about a "honeytrap" scandal.
Pune police's Crime Branch raided a "drug party" at a studio apartment located in the upscale Kharadi area at around 3:30 am on Sunday, leading to the arrest of seven persons, including Khewalkar, and seizure of suspected cocaine, marijuana, hookah set-ups, and bottles of liquor, officials earlier said.
Medical reports of Khewalkar and another person have confirmed the consumption of liquor at the "drug party" busted by the police, an official said on Monday.
Khewalkar's wife and NCP (SP) state unit president Rohini Khadse met a senior officer of the Pune Police on Monday.
Eknath Khadse alleged the police action was aimed at defaming him, as he had been consistently raising his voice about "honey traps" and the alleged involvement of Praful Lodha in them.
Lodha has been accused of sexually abusing two minor girls and raping two women and has been arrested by the Mumbai police.
