‘Don’t support any criminals’: Mohol, Patil after meeting Pune police chief

High profile murders and other criminal activity, some even committed in the daytime in public places, have been reported across the city in the last few months.

Not just the opposition, but former MLA Ravindra Dhangekar, who is now a leader of the Pune unit of Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, also claimed there was a failure of law and order in the city. Dhangekar had in particular targeted Patil over fugitive gangster Nilesh Ghaiwal from Kothrud, who allegedly travelled to the UK using an illegally procured passport. During the press conference, Patil denied having any links with Ghaywal.

Recently, Dhangekar had allegedly posted a video of a brawl involving Rafiq Shaikh, an office bearer of BJP’s minor city cell. Dhangekar stated that Rafiq was Mohol’s goon who attacked Hindutva activists at Mega City on Paud Road. Dhangekar had also posted a photograph in which Rafiq and Mohol are seen together.

Speaking about this, Patil said that police should control Muslim activities in Hindu majority Kothrud area, particularly the dispute over a local Dargah, but that it wasn’t right to give a religious colour to Rafiq Shaikh’s issue. He said if there is a case against Rafiq, police can take action.

Meanwhile, both Mohol and Patil avoided making any comments about the alleged land scams linked to Parth Pawar, son of NCP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. Mohol said their meeting with the police commissioner had nothing to do with the case related to Parth Pawar.