Journalist Arrested in Sharad Pawar Residence Attack Case, 116 Now in Custody

Hundreds of transport workers had protested outside NCP chief Sharad Pawar's residence on 8 April.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar.

(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)

Nearly a week after an alleged attack on senior politician Sharad Pawar's residence during the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) protest outside his house, Mumbai Police on Thursday, 14 April, arrested a person named Sandeep Godbole from Nagpur in connection with the case.

Godbole was later sent to two-day police custody by a magistrate at Esplanade Court.

This comes a day after a journalist was arrested from Pune in the same case, the Maharashtra Police had said on Wednesday.

A total of 116 people have been arrested in the matter so far.

The Satara Police will also seek judicial custody of advocate Gunaratna Sadavarte, who is in Mumbai Police custody in connection with an alleged attack, news agency ANI reported.

What Had Happened?

Hundreds of Maharashtra State Regional Transport Corporation (MSRTC) workers protested outside Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar's residence on Friday, 8 April.

The protest, where shoes and stones were allegedly hurled at Pawar's residence, was termed as a 'conspiracy' by Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut.

"It was a conspiracy. Soon it will be revealed who was behind it. Sharad Pawar Sahib had no connection with ST workers strike. Someone is trying to disturb the political and social atmosphere in Maharashtra," said Raut, whose party runs a tri-party coalition government with the NCP and the Congress in Maharashtra.

Pawar, after the protest outside his residence, had said that the MSRTC workers were being "misled."

The transport workers have been demanding the inclusion of the ST corporation under the state government. This action would entitle ST workers to avail of benefits granted to the state government employees.