Lathicharge in Mulund as MVA accuses BJP of doling out 'huge' cash

MUMBAI: Police resorted to lathicharge outside BJP candidate from Mumbai North-East Mihir Kotecha's office in Mulund (W) on Friday after MVA supporters protested, alleging that BJP was distributing cash.

The situation was tense and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the home portfolio, rushed to Mulund police station. DCP (zone 7) Purshottam Karad said trouble erupted over allegations of bribery. "Both police and election commission officials probed and found no substance. The matter is closed," he said.

It was alleged that an MVA functionary caught a BJP worker distributing money in a building on Devidayal Road, whi-ch purportedly doubled up as Kotecha's back-office. Later, police arrived and allegedly caught the MVA workers who beat up the BJP functionary.

While Kotecha was not available for comment, Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate from Mumbai North-East Sanjay Dina Patil claimed that his party workers had got a tipoff that cash was being distributed in Mulund (W) on a large scale. "We informed the election commission and police, and the latter wanted witnesses and we had two men to testify. But when police reached the spot, they said they found just Rs 2 lakh...No action has been taken against the BJP karyakartas, instead police blamed us for causing tension in the area," he said.

Sena UBT MLA Sunil Raut, who met Karad, said their activists had "proper information" and had tipped off police and poll officials. "But the cash disappeared for reasons best known to the persons who did it. It was huge cash...since police and administration are with BJP, we are not getting justice. We have decided to pursue the case with the DCP," he said.

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