PUNE: A day after the opposition slammed deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar for ‘threatening’ IPS officer Anjana Krishna over a cellphone call, the Solapur rural police registered a case against four individuals from Kurdu village in Solapur district. They were charged with unlawful assembly and using force against public servants to prevent them from performing their official duties as per section 132 and other relevant sections of BNS.
Pawar issued a clarification on Friday, claiming that his intention in speaking to the IPS officer was not to interfere with law enforcement but to ensure peace on the ground.He took to his X handle on Friday to post a message stating that he has the highest respect for police force and its officers, including women officers. “My attention has been drawn to certain videos circulating regarding my interaction with the police officers in Solapur. Let me state clearly that my intention was not to interfere with law enforcement but to ensure that the situation on the ground remained calm and did not escalate further. I have the highest respect for our police force and its officers, including the women officers who serve with distinction and courage, and I value the rule of law above all. I remain firmly committed to transparent governance and to ensuring that every illegal activity, including sand mining, is dealt with strictly as per the law,” Pawar wrote.The deputy chief minister came in for much criticism on Thursday when a video surfaced on social media platforms in which a cellphone conversation between him and IPS officer Anjana Krishna, who is posted as sub-divisional police officer of Karmala division in Solapur, was recorded. The opposition claimed that when Krishna, along with a team of revenue officials, went to take action against illegal sand mineral mining at Kurdu village, local NCP members called up Ajit Pawar and made Krishna speak to him. When the IPS officer told Pawar to call her cellphone for authentication, the deputy chief minister threatened her with action.According to the FIR, SDPO Krishna and other police personnel, along with officials from the revenue department, went to Kurdu village to take action against illegal sand mineral mining on Aug 31. Four individuals identified as Baba Jagtap, Nitin Mali, Santosh Kapare, Anna Dhane, and 15 to 20 other villagers gathered at the spot and prevented govt officials from performing their duties.When TOI contacted assistant police inspector Shahnawaz Mullah of Kurduwadi police station, who is investigating the case, he said, “The FIR names four individuals, and along with them, there were 15 to 20 persons who are yet to be identified. No arrest has been made so far.”The opposition has said the FIR is a cover-up for the threats made by Pawar and demanded that he be named in the FIR. State Congress President Harshwardhan Sapkal told TOI, “The incident in Solapur is the latest example of how the triple engine govt gang is working in the state and forcing the administration not to act against their party members even if they are found involved in criminal activities. The FIR in Solapur was registered after facing criticism from all corners over threats to the IPS officer. We demand that Ajit Pawar be named in the FIR for preventing the IPS officer from performing her duty.“NCP (SP) state general secretary Rohit Pawar came out in support of his uncle Ajit Pawar. “Even if Ajit Dada speaks in a normal voice, people who have not met him may think that his tone is angry, but entire Maharashtra knows his work style. The woman officer is not at fault, but it appears that the conversation between these two was deliberately twisted by Ajit Pawar’s alliance partners. He should understand that the trap was laid by them,” Rohit said.Meanwhile, MLC from Ajit Pawar’s NCP, Amol Mitkari, has written to Union Public Service Commission, demanding that it verify Krishna’s documents of IPS officer Anjana Krishna, which she submitted while clearing the UPSC examination.Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar, speaking in Sangli, said, “If an officer is doing her duty, then threatening and pressuring her is anti-democratic. He (Ajit Pawar) doesn’t believe in democracy. He works through dictatorial means.”
