17 February,2014 06:33 PM IST | | Agencies
The Maharashtra Police have arrested the brother of NCP minister Shashikant Shinde for allegedly raping a 33-year-old woman
Satara (Maharashtra): The brother of Maharashtra Water Resources Minister Shashikant Jaywantrao Shinde was arrested on Monday for allegedly raping a woman at her home, police said.
According to the complaint by the 33-year-old woman, Rishikant Shinde, a realtor, had barged into her residence Sunday evening on the pretext of discussing a property issue and physically assaulted her, investigating officer Ravindra Pisal of Satara City police station said.
"He was arrested this morning (Monday) and presented before a magistrate who sent him to police custody till February 21," Pisal stated.
Shashikant Shinde of the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) was inducted in the Maharashtra cabinet in June 2013 as minister for Water Recourses (Maharashtra Krishna Valley Irrigation Corporation -- MKVDC). He is a legislator from Koregaon.
Maharashtra Home Minister R.R. Patil has assured that the case would be dealt "without any kind of partiality" by police.
"The case was registered late last night (Sunday) and the accused arrested within two-three hours. This shows that police have been impartial in its investigation, otherwise the accused would not have been arrested," Patil told media persons.
A police official said there has been no interference in the probe by any politician and the case would be dealt with on merits of the charges.
