Maharashtra Housing Minister Jitendra Awhad was arrested by the Thane police on Thursday, 14 October, in connection with a kidnapping and assault case relating to a social media post.
Awhad was released by the police later in the day.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader has been accused of kidnapping and assault by a man named Anand Karmuse.
What Had Happened
The complainant, Anand Karmuse, had alleged that he had been forcibly taken to the minister's house on 5 April 2020 and had been beaten up by 10-15 men in the presence of the minister, due to Karmuse's sharing of a morphed picture of Awhad on social media, news agency PTI reported.
Based on Karmuse's complaint, Awhad had been booked under IPC Sections 365 (kidnapping), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by means of an instrument), 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with a deadly weapon), and 506 (criminal intimidation).
The minister had appeared at the Vartak Nagar Police Station in connection with the case on Thursday,14 October, where his statement was recorded.
Awhad was subsequently produced before a Thane court magistrate, who granted him bail on a cash bond of Rs 10,000 and one surety.
Maharashtra BJP leader Kirit Somaiya, in a series of tweets posted on Thursday, said, "At Last Thackeray Sarkar's Minister Jitendra Awhad arrested on Anant Karmuse kidnapping & assault case. BJP Demands Minister Jitendra Awhad must be sacked from the Ministry. (sic)"
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