PMC Polls: 31 Bogus Voting Cards Seized in Ahilyanagar, NC Offence Filed
The Ahilyanagar district police have registered a non-cognizable offence against three individuals. This action follows serious allegations of bogus voting cards surfacing during the municipal corporation elections on Thursday.
Candidate Snatches Fake Cards
Chandrakant Shelke, popularly known as Kaka Shelke, triggered the controversy. Shelke serves as a candidate for the Shiv Sena faction led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
He claimed to have snatched thirty-one bogus voting cards from an unidentified person. The incident occurred inside an auto rickshaw at Parijat Chowk in Ahilyanagar city.
Shelke reported the event took place around 1:45 PM on Thursday. According to his statement, the suspect immediately fled the spot after the confrontation.
Police Identify Suspects
Officers at the Tofkhana police station in Ahilyanagar filed the NC offence. The police report names two primary suspects in this case.
Ganesh Shekade, aged thirty-four, and Satish Shekade, aged thirty-two, are both residents of Mhasobachi Wadi. This village falls under Ashti taluka in Maharashtra's Beed district.
Authorities confirmed the identity of a third suspect remains unknown at this time. The investigation continues to uncover more details.
Activists Detain Suspects
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena activists apprehended Ganesh and Satish Shekade near a polling booth. The booth was located at Anand Vidyalay school in ward number three.
Activists reported the two men were moving suspiciously in the area. They subsequently handed both suspects over to the police for further action.
Legal Action and Investigation
Police Inspector Jagdish Bhambal of Tofkhana police station provided details on the charges. The suspects face charges under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita section 174.
This section deals with punishment for undue influence or impersonation during an election. Bhambal emphasized that further investigation in the case is actively ongoing.
Sudhir Patil, the election officer for ward number three, confirmed an official inquiry has started. Patil stated the police have taken the suspects into custody for detailed questioning.
Police authorities also mentioned they are verifying the authenticity of the thirty-one seized voting cards. The probe aims to determine the full scope of the alleged electoral malpractice.
