Offences against Rane, Mohite in Katol

Nagpur, Apr 7 (UNI) Police have registered an offence against Minister for Revenue Narayan Rane, and Subodh Mohite, the Congress nominee in the by-election from Ramtek Lok Sabha constituency in Vidarbha region, for allegedly assaulting activists of the Shiv Sena on the last day of electioneering in Katol, today.

The police have also registered a separate offence against an activist of the Shiv Sena for the same incident.

Nagpur District (Rural) Additional Superintendent of Police (SP) R M Katke told UNI that the Katol police station received a complaint against Congress activists from workers of the Shiv Sena, and a counter-complaint from the Congress against Shiv Sena men, after a clash between the rival groups in Katol this afternoon.

On the basis of the complaint from the Shiv Sena, an offence had been registered against Mr Rane, Mr Mohite and several others under sections 147, 148, 149, 294, 395 and 307 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Mr Katke said. Similarly, on the basis of the complaint from the Congress, an offence had been registered against Eknath Shinde, a local activist of the Shiv Sena, and several others under the same sections, he said.

The alleged incident took place when a rally led by Mr Rane and Mr Mohite was passing by a campaign office of Shiv Sena nominee Prakash Jadhav.

The Shiv Sena has said in its complaint to the police that Congress activists tried to ransack Mr Jadhav's office and to damage a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj kept there. The Congress has said in its complaint that Shiv Sena activists abused Mr Rane and Mr Mohite and also assaulted its workers.

The by-election in Ramtek is being held because Mr Mohite, who was elected in 2004 from the constituency on a Shiv Sena ticket, resigned from the party and the House to join the Congress. He is now a nominee of the Congress in the by-poll. The Shiv Sena has fielded Prakash Jadhav.

Meanwhile, the police have also received a complaint from an official of the local administration against Congress rebel Ranjit Deshmukh, contesting as an independent, for holding an election meeting beyond the deadline for campaigning. The complaint was being processed, the police said.

UNI