20 November,2024 06:41 PM IST | Thane | Apoorva Agashe
Kedar Dighe. File Pic/X
The Thane city police in Maharashtra have filed a case against Kedar Dighe, the Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate from Kopri-Pachpakhadi, who is contesting Maharashtra Assembly election 2024 against Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, for allegedly possessing liquor and cash.
Kedar Dighe is the nephew of late Anand Dighe, a former Shiv Sena leader who was very influential in the Thane area.
According to the FIR filed at the Kopri police station, Kedar Dighe and a few others were allegedly caught with envelopes of cash and bottles of liquor at Ashtavinayak Chowk around 2 am. It is suspected that they were planning to distribute these items to voters, sources said.
Kedar Dighe has been charged under Section 174 of the Indian Penal Code for undue influence in an election.
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Meanwhile, Dighe has denied the allegations against him.
On the social media platform X, Kedar Dighe wrote that nothing wrong was found in his car. He claimed that the incident was an attempt by his opponents to defame him, and he had personally brought the car to the police station. He also called the situation politically motivated.
Kedar Dighe also posted the videos on X stating that nothing was found in his car.
The incident comes a day after, police in Maharashtra filed two FIRs against BJP general secretary Vinod Tawde, BJP candidate Rajan Naik, and others for allegedly distributing cash to voters at a hotel in Palghar.
Earlier on Tuesday, a clash had unfolded in Virar area of Maharashtra after the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) party workers confronted BJP's Vinod Tawde, accusing him of allegedly distributing cash to influence voters in the Vasai-Virar constituency.
The allegations have sparked a political storm ahead of the November 20 polls.
The videos of the incident are circulating widely on social media platforms.
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Following the incident BJP leader Vinod Tawde reacted to the money distribution allegations against him ahead of the voting for Maharashtra Assembly election 2024 and said that the Election Commission (EC) should conduct an impartial investigation.
(with PTI inputs)
