Shiv Sena (UBT) leader kidnapped in Nanded, released later; cops begin probe

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A leader of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) from Nanded district in Maharashtra was allegedly kidnapped by eight to nine persons and then released some time later, prompting police to register an FIR and begin probe, an official said on Saturday, reported the PTI.

Nanded Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Gaurav Kotgire was abducted from Bafna area, some 670 kilometres from Mumbai, on Friday night, the official said.

"He was bundled into an SUV when he was working in his garage and taken to an unidentified location. He was released a few hours later, after which he approached police. He has claimed the accused had covered their faces and threatened him with a weapon. The accused allegedly told him to not indulge much in politics and property deals as well as talk ill of other leaders," the official informed, according to the PTI.

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A case of kidnapping and other offences has been registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against unidentified persons and efforts are on to trace and nab the accused, the Itvara police station official added, the news agency reported on Saturday.

EOW must probe BMC road contracts under Shinde govt: Aaditya Thackeray

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Saturday demanded an enquiry by Mumbai Police's Economic Offences Wing into alleged irregularities in the contracts awarded by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation for construction of roads during the previous Eknath Shinde government.

Addressing a news conference, Thackeray demanded that Shinde as well as Deepak Kesarkar and Mangal Prabhat Lodha, who were the guardian ministers of Mumbai city and Mumbai suburbs, respectively, be kept out of the new government as the road contracts were awarded during their tenure as ministers.

Shinde is currently deputy chief minister in the Devendra Fadnavis government that was sworn in on December 5 following the Mahayuti's landslide victory in the November 20 assembly polls.

Thackeray alleged there was cartelisation of contracts when Shinde was CM and handled the Urban Development portfolio.

"The BJP has now demanded a SIT probe into the contracts awarded for construction of roads. We demand an EOW probe into this," Thackeray said, as per the PTI.

The BMC was controlled by the undivided Shiv Sena from 1997 to 2022. However, civic polls are due since early 2022 and the BMC is presently under a state-government appointed administrator.

Referring to a news report, Thackeray claimed the BMC plans to levy user fee per flat for waste collection, which he asserted was an attempt to "loot Mumbai".

"This service (of picking up garbage) was free when we were in power (in the BMC). The civic body has an obligation to provide this as a free service. This is an attempt to loot Mumbai through a user fee," Thackeray claimed, as per the PTI.

(with PTI inputs)