THANE: Ashwajit Gaikwad, the youngest son of a senior bureaucrat, and his aides Romil Patil and Sagar Shedge were arrested late on Sunday for allegedly assaulting and trying to mow down a 26-year-old beautician and social media influencer outside a hotel at Thane’s Ghodbunder road last week. Police also seized the two vehicles used in the alleged crime.
The arrests come barely 12 hours after Thane police commissioner Jai Jeet Singh set up a special investigation team (SIT) led by DCP (zone V) Amar Singh Jadhav to probe into the case.”The threeaccused were booked under IPC sections 279 (rash driving), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 338 (causing grievous hurt), 504 (insulting someone intentionally to provoke them) and 34 (common intention) based on the complaint filed on Monday. They were arrested Sunday night. Two SUVs used in the crime have also been seized,” Jadhav said. The sections are bailable, he added.
Gaikwad, who runs a chain of restaurants with one of his brothers, also holds a prominent post in a political party’s youth wing and is related to a senior sitting MP from the state, said sources. The victim, Priya Singh, had accused Gaikwad, who she claimed she was in a relationship with for the last four years, of allegedly assaulting her and trying to mow her down with his SUV, and injuring her seriously following an argument outside the hotel in the wee hours of December 11. The allegations were then refuted by Gaikwad, who claimed she was trying to extort money.
Following the arrests, Jadhav said the SIT will continue to gather and analyse forensic evidence, access CCTV footage of the spot, and technical data among other evidence as part of its investigation. “…Statements of witnesses are being recorded and forensic evidence are being collected…,” Singh said. Speaking to the media on Sunday, Singh had asked if the police were under “any pressure”. Her lawyer Darshana Pawar said they have requested Thane police to book Gaikwad and others for attempted murder.
Leader of opposition in the legislative council and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve said that he will raise the issue in the council if the police fail to add Section 307 (attempt to murder) in the case.
The arrests come barely 12 hours after Thane police commissioner Jai Jeet Singh set up a special investigation team (SIT) led by DCP (zone V) Amar Singh Jadhav to probe into the case.”The threeaccused were booked under IPC sections 279 (rash driving), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 338 (causing grievous hurt), 504 (insulting someone intentionally to provoke them) and 34 (common intention) based on the complaint filed on Monday. They were arrested Sunday night. Two SUVs used in the crime have also been seized,” Jadhav said. The sections are bailable, he added.
Gaikwad, who runs a chain of restaurants with one of his brothers, also holds a prominent post in a political party’s youth wing and is related to a senior sitting MP from the state, said sources. The victim, Priya Singh, had accused Gaikwad, who she claimed she was in a relationship with for the last four years, of allegedly assaulting her and trying to mow her down with his SUV, and injuring her seriously following an argument outside the hotel in the wee hours of December 11. The allegations were then refuted by Gaikwad, who claimed she was trying to extort money.
Following the arrests, Jadhav said the SIT will continue to gather and analyse forensic evidence, access CCTV footage of the spot, and technical data among other evidence as part of its investigation. “…Statements of witnesses are being recorded and forensic evidence are being collected…,” Singh said. Speaking to the media on Sunday, Singh had asked if the police were under “any pressure”. Her lawyer Darshana Pawar said they have requested Thane police to book Gaikwad and others for attempted murder.
Leader of opposition in the legislative council and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve said that he will raise the issue in the council if the police fail to add Section 307 (attempt to murder) in the case.
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