‘Treated like criminals’: Maharashtra Council orders suspension of Satara SP after Minister Shambhuraj Desai allegedly beaten during ZP polls

‘This is unprecedented’

During the polling, Satara Guardian Minister and Sena leader Shambhuraj Desai was allegedly attacked by police personnel in plain clothes.

“This has happened for the first time in my 40 years of political career… I was with NCP minister Makarand Patil and NCP (SP) MLC Shashikant Shinde. I was beaten by the police when I was going into the ZP building. I was bleeding. Minister Patil’s brother, Rajya Sabha MP Nitin Patil, was dragged from the staircase. This is unprecedented. And in this confrontation, two of our members were kidnapped by the police,” Desai said in the Council.

Desai said BJP workers were allowed inside the ZP building, but not them.

“The Satara SP has worked like a maid. He should be suspended along with other subordinates,” he demanded and sought a judicial probe.

NCP minister Makarand Patil, who was with Desai, said that the Satara police department behaved in an atrocious manner by registering false complaints against their members. “Despite being ministers, we were treated like criminals. Even an accused person cannot be prevented from voting. But here, elected members were stopped from voting in Satara district,” he alleged.

Shiv Sena MLC Hemant Patil raised the issue, alleging that Satara SP Doshi ordered an attack on Desai prior to the election. NCP MLC Vikram Kale, too, demanded Doshi’s suspension.

Gorhe said the House trusts Desai’s statement. “I order the government to suspend the Satara SP right away. No inquiry into the incident has yet been ordered, which should have been done yesterday itself,” she said.

Gorhe said the Satara district collector and the Satara ZP CEO should ensure that CCTV footage of the incident is preserved, and that the Pune divisional commissioner supervises it.

‘No separate rules for ministers or MLAs’

Shiv Sena minister Uday Samant said the government will comply with the orders of the Council’s deputy chairperson.

Countering the Sena and NCP, BJP minister Jaikumar Gore, who was leading the party “Operation Lotus” in Satara, opposed Doshi’s suspension.

“Before giving an order, reality should also be heard. During the election for the ZP chairperson, nobody other than ZP councillors should be inside the building. There are no separate rules for ministers or MLAs,” said Gore.

“Around 3,000 to 4,000 workers barged inside the ZP building. The police are responsible for maintaining law and order. The suspension of an IPS officer without taking factual reports on the allegations against him is not right,” the minister said.

When Gore questioned why the BJP was being blamed, Sena minister Samant said Doshi’s suspension had been ordered, and nobody had blamed the saffron party.

With Desai demanding a judicial probe against Doshi and others, and noting that the IPS officer had been the superintendent of police in Jalna during the lathicharge on Maratha quota protesters three years ago, Council Chairman Ram Shinde adjourned the House until 12 pm.