109 remanded in judicial custody after protest near Pawar’s house

The Esplanade metropolitan magistrate court on Saturday remanded 109 employees of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), arrested for rioting outside Sharad Pawar’s residence, in judicial custody. The court also remanded the lawyer of the arrested MSRTC employees, advocate Gunratan Sadavarte, to two-day police custody.

Immediately after they were remanded to judicial custody, the 109 MSRTC employees applied for bail, which was rejected by the magistrate court. They will now move the sessions court, people aware of the developments said.

On Friday, the Gamdevi police arrested 110 protesters, including 23 women and advocate Sadavarte, for rioting outside Pawar’s residence. 104 persons were arrested from the Malabar Hill area immediately after the incident, whereas six others were arrested later in the night, police said.

The protestors had gathered outside Silver Oak and raised slogans against Pawar, claiming that the NCP chief did nothing to fulfil their demands and even pelted stones at the house before police personnel intervened.

On Saturday, all the arrested persons were produced before the Esplanade metropolitan magistrate court, where special public prosecutor Pradeep Gharat sought police custody for all.

Insisting on Sadavarte’s custody remand, Gharat said that he is the main instigator and the police want to find out the mastermind behind the conspiracy.

Sadavarte’s lawyer, advocate Mahesh Vaswani, however, denied the allegations and maintained that Sadavarte was falsely implicated since he has been fighting cases against the state.

GAMDEVI POLICE HELD 110 PROTESTERS, INCLUDING 23 WOMEN AND AN ADVOCATE