Lok Sabha elections 2024: Army jawan held for demanding Rs 2.5 cr from Sena (UBT) leader to manipulate EVMs

Representational Image

Amid ongoing Lok Sabha elections 2024, police have arrested an Army jawan in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city after he allegedly demanded Rs 2.5 crore from Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve for manipulating the EVMs, an official said, reported news agency PTI.

Danve, the leader of opposition in the state legislative council, filed a written complaint with police after the accused, Maruti Dhakne (42), allegedly demanded the money from him to manipulate the electronic voting machines through a chip, claiming it helped a particular candidate to get more votes in the Lok Sabha elections 2024, the official said on Tuesday, reported PTI.

The accused made the claim in a bid to clear his debt. He knows nothing about the EVMs, the police said.

At around 4 pm on Tuesday, the accused met the Sena (UBT) leader's younger brother Rajendra Danve in a hotel near the central bus stand in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, reported PTI.

After talks, the deal was finalised at Rs 1.5 crore, the official said.

A police team in civil dress was already sent to the location based on information provided by Ambadas Danve, reported PTI.

The police caught the accused red-handed while he took Rs 1 lakh as a token amount from Rajendra Danve, the official said, reported PTI.

"The accused is facing a huge debt. He did this trick to get out his debt. He knows nothing about the machine (EVM). We have arrested him and a case has been registered at the Kranti Chowk police station here," Police Commissioner Manoj Lohiya told reporters, reported PTI.

The case has been registered against the accused under Indian Penal Code sections 420 (cheating) and 511 (attempt to commit offence), another official said.

The accused is a resident of Pathardi in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district and posted at Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir, according to the police.

Meanwhile, the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) on Tuesday lodged more than 200 complaints against the NCP led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in Baramati constituency of Pune district for allegedly indulging in malpractices like cash distribution to voters, party MLA Rohit Pawar claimed, reported PTI.

Voting for the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency along with 10 others in Maharashtra was held on Tuesday.

Baramati is the home turf of the politically influential Pawar family. Sharad Pawar has represented the Baramati Lok Sabha seat several times in the past. His daughter Supriya Sule has been the Baramati MP since 2009 and is seeking to retain the seat for the fourth term.

Ajit Pawar, who rebelled against his uncle and party founder Sharad Pawar in July 2023 and joined the Eknath Shinde-led government, fielded his wife Sunetra from the constituency.

NCP (SP) leader Rohit Pawar took to social media to post a video of Indapur MLA Dattatray Bharne, who belongs to the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, in which he is seen hurling abuses at someone.

The party lodged a complaint against Bharne to the Election Commission of India (ECI), in which it stated that the NCP MLA intimidated and threatened voters, thereby effectively unlawfully seizing control of a polling booth in Indapur, reported PTI.

(With inputs from PTI)