Pune: An analysis of applicants of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) election by the Pune city police revealed that out of the total 2,650 applications to obtain character certificates from the police, 1,560 of such aspirants have criminal cases against them.Out of these 1,560 candidates, 60 have serious cases including bodily offences registered against them.
The police have analysed the number people who submitted applications for character certificates. These people, however, may have opted out before the withdrawal deadline. At present, there are 1,165 candidates remain in the fray for PMC elections. Joint police commissioner Ranjankumar Sharma, deputy commissioner of police (Special Branch) Sandeep Bhajibhakare and other officers studied the data.Bhajibhakare told TOI, “We received as many as 2,650 applications from the people aspired to contest civic elections. Out of this, 1,560 had criminal cases registered against their names.” According to the police, the other 1,500 people have political cases or cases of agitation/unlawful assembly against them. These people protested for water, roads, potholes and other civic issues, and cases were registered against them.Bhajibhakare said, “However, only 60 of them were booked for serious cases. Out of these 60, 20 people have cases like cheating, ransom, bodily offences, and other crimes against them.”Pune police commissioner Amitesh Kumar directed the special branch as well as the crime branch officials to keep a close eye on these 20 people who had serious cases against them. The police chief directed the police to check how they were pressuring voters, how they were moving in the city and to check their bail conditions, among other things. Police teams are keeping a close watch on their activities during the election period.Kumar assured strong action against the candidates if they took the law into their hands while campaigning.The candidates are required to obtain police clearance certificates while submitting applications to contest elections at the ward offices. The same document and crime-related data will be declared in the affidavits submitted by the candidates to the returning officers.
