Thane: An NCP MLA’s nephew in jail for his alleged involvement in a Rs 1.5-crore rice procurement scam in Thane’s Shahapur taluka died in hospital due to brain-related complications.According to Khadakpada police, Harish alias Bhau Daroda, nephew of Shahapur’s NCP MLA Daulat Daroda, was lodged in Adharwadi Jail in Kalyan after being arrested in Dec 2025, and remanded in judicial custody. On Jan 18, he suffered brain-related medical complications and was admitted to Thane Civil Hospital. He died during treatment on Thursday. As the death occurred during judicial custody, police have registered an accidental death report. His body was sent to JJ Hospital for a post-mortem examination to ascertain the exact cause of death.
Daroda, who was chairman of Sakadbaav Adivasi Vividh Karyakari Cooperative Society, was a key accused in the rice procurement scam that came to light in Dec 2023. A case was registered at Kinhavali police station. Daroda was on the run for nearly two years before being arrested last month.Probe revealed large-scale irregularities involving fake and bogus purchase receipts, causing a loss of about Rs 16 crore to the government and the tribal development corporation over the past two to three years.
