Thane: An inmate at a sub-jail in Maharashtra’s Thane district allegedly manhandled a police officer and destroyed CCTV cameras while questioning his detention and demanding his immediate release, officials said on Tuesday.

The accused claimed he was “unfazed” by legal action because he had faced similar charges in the past, they said.

The Shantinagar police have registered an FIR against the accused, identified as Faiaz Islam Shaikh (25), in connection with the incident which occurred on Sunday in the Bhiwandi sub-jail premises, where he was already lodged for a prior offence.

According to the police, the accused began shouting and hurling abuses at the personnel on duty. He allegedly challenged the authority of the police, questioning his detention and demanding his immediate release.

He further threatened the staff, claiming that a previous charge under Indian Penal Code Section 353 (assault on a public servant) did not bother him, an official from the Shantinagar police station said.

Shaikh allegedly pulled out three CCTV cameras installed near the sub-jail’s gate and smashed them onto the floor. He also broke three light bulbs in the area, the official said.

When a police officer attempted to pacify him and explain the protocol, the accused grabbed his collar and pushed him, he added.

The police have registered a case in this connection against Shaikh under various Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections, including 132 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 351(2) (criminal intimidation) and 324(4) (mischief causing damage to public property), he said.

Kolkata, Jan 6: The deadline for the Director General of West Bengal Police, Rajeev Kumar, to submit an action taken report to the Election Commission of India on an incident of heckling and attack on the ECI-appointed special observer in the South 24 Parganas district expires on Tuesday.

The ECI-appointed special roll observer, C. Murugan, an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, was at Magrahat in the South 24 Parganas district reviewing and supervising the hearing sessions there last month when the ruling Trinamool Congress activists allegedly attacked his vehicle and personally heckled him.

The state police were then accused of not making adequate security arrangements for Murugan, despite his trip being scheduled and the district police authorities being informed well in advance.

After that incident, Murugan sent a detailed report on the matter to the ECI’s headquarters in New Delhi, and thereafter, on January 3, the ECI sought a detailed report from DGP Kumar.

The deadline for sending the report is expiring at 5 p.m. Tuesday, and it is to be seen whether the report reaches the ECI by that time or not.

In the communique to the DGP sent on January 3, the ECI also cautioned the state police that similar lapses in the future regarding the security arrangements for the voter list observers will not be taken lightly.

Since the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) started in West Bengal from November last year, there have been several instances of heckling of electoral officers, and in almost all these cases, the ruling Trinamool Congress activists were held responsible.

Even the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, Manoj Kumar Agarwal, was also not spared, and there had been several instances of unruly agitations in front of his office in central Kolkata by a Trinamool Congress-backed association of booth-level officers (BLOs).

Amid such developments, last month, the Union Home Ministry decided to upgrade the security for CEO Manoj Agarwal, following the ECI’s recommendations in the matter.

The security grade for Agarwal was upgraded to ‘Y-category’, thus entitling him to security cover by Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel. At the same time, CAPF deployment will also be there at the CEO’s office in central Kolkata.

Recently, the ECI recommended to the Union Home Ministry for the deployment of CAPF at the CEO’s office, besides upgrading the personal security of the CEO.

Mumbai, Jan 5: Although they remain ruling partners in Maharashtra, NCP chief and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and the BJP are engaged in a war of words over the politically-sensitive corruption issue.

Ahead of the elections to the 29 municipal corporations slated for January 15, the relationship of the Mahayuti has hit a low, with open friction being the order of the day.

In a surprising shift, Dy CM Ajit Pawar has launched a direct offensive against the BJP’s past governance.

He recently alleged that the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), which was ruled by the BJP from 2017 to 2022, was “infested with corruption” and pushed into debt.

Maharashtra BJP President Ravindra Chavan hit back, advising Pawar to “introspect” before leveling charges. Chavan warned that if the BJP started making counter-allegations, it would create “serious difficulties” for Pawar, hinting at past investigations into the Deputy CM’s conduct.

Revenue Minister and BJP incharge for municipal corporation elections Chandrashekhar Bawankule stood firmly behind Ravindra Chavan and also issued a stern warning and “advice” to Ajit Pawar.

Bawankule’s response focussed on three main points including observing restraint, honouring the alliance dharma, and avoiding personal attacks.

Bawankule reminded Ajit Pawar that as members of the Mahayuti alliance, a specific coordination agreement had been made before the January 15 civic polls.

He stated that all partners had agreed that even if they contested local body elections separately, they would not criticize each other.

He explicitly noted that Ajit Pawar had “broken this agreement” by attacking the BJP’s record in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. Bawankule publicly advised him to “observe restraint in the future.”

Bawankule dismissed Ajit Pawar’s allegations of corruption and debt in the BJP-led municipal corporations and argued that the development of cities like Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad was “derailed” due to historical mismanagement by the NCP.

He added that the Devendra Fadnavis and Modi governments were actually responsible for putting these cities back on track.

He suggested that if Ajit Pawar has legitimate concerns about corruption, he should “approach investigating agencies” rather than making political statements in the media.

Bawankule hinted that the BJP has avoided bringing up Pawar’s own controversial past (including the irrigation scam allegations) for the sake of the alliance, but warned that continued attacks could force the BJP to “start speaking,” which would create “serious difficulties” for Ajit Pawar.

The Deputy CM had, on Monday, asked the BJP to follow the alliance dharma.

This friction marks the most serious public rift in the Mahayuti since Ajit Pawar joined in 2023.

Bawankule’s comments highlight the BJP’s growing frustration with Ajit Pawar’s attempt to play a “double role” — acting as a Deputy CM in the state while acting like an Opposition leader at the municipal level.