The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Thane police on Sunday arrested Ashwajit Gaikwad, son of Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) Managing Director Anilkumar Gaikwad, for allegedly assaulting a woman and trying to mow her down with his SUV in Thane.
The team also arrested Gaikwad’s friends Romil Patil and Sagar Shedge — all Thane residents — and seized their Scorpio and Land Rover Defender, hours after the SIT was formed.
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Deputy Commissioner of Police Amarsinh Jadhav, who is heading the SIT that was formed earlier in the day to probe the case, said, “During initial investigations, evidence and witnesses indicated involvement of the three accused, hence they have been placed under arrest. They would be produced in the court on Monday. The investigation is on.”
When asked if the police have added any additional sections in the case, the senior officer said, “not yet”.
Earlier in the day, Thane police commissioner Jai Jeet Singh ordered the formation of the SIT under Amar Singh for a thorough probe into the allegations against Ashwajit, a Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha functionary.
According to the complaint by the woman, Priya Singh, 26, Ashwajit Gaikwad assaulted her and tried to mow her down with his SUV in Thane on December 11, when she went to meet him at a hotel near Ghodbunder Road. Kasarvadavli police filed a case but no arrest has been made yet.
Police registered an FIR under sections 279 (rash driving), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 338 (causing grievous hurt), 504 (insulting someone intentionally to provoke them) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.
“Statements of witnesses are being recorded, and forensic evidence is being collected. Further sections will be added and accused implicated if further facts are disclosed during the investigation,” the Thane police chief said Sunday.
Talking to the media from the hospital, Priya, a beautician and model, had said she was in a relationship with Gaikwad. She said that she was initially not aware that he was married and when she came to know about it, Gaikwad allegedly told her that he and his wife were separated. Priya said Gaikwad told her that he wanted to marry her but when she went to meet him, he was with his wife. She said in the argument that ensued between the two, Gaikwad got aggressive and assaulted her. According to her, she went to get her bag from his car, when Ashwajit, his friend Romil Patil and driver Sagar Shelke drove off, injuring her.
The victim’s lawyer, Darshana Pawar, told the media they had requested police to charge the accused for attempted murder, but the police had not done so.
Pawar also said that her client has not received any communication from the police regarding formation of SIT. “Police have not communicated to us any development in the case. We are expecting them to record a supplementary statement of Singh to highlight the facts that were not included in the main statement. We stand firm on our demand that section 307 (attempted murder) be invoked. If police fail to do so, we will approach the court,” Pawar said.
The issue gained political heat after Atul Londhe, chief spokesperson of Maharashtra Congress, alleged Ashwajit was not arrested because his father is a high-ranking official in the administration.
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