Mumbai, June 27: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Saturday launched a scathing attack on senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer and newly appointed Nagpur Police Commissioner Vishwas Nangre Patil, accusing him of compromising civil service neutrality by publicly praising the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

In a strongly worded social media post, Thackeray questioned the high-ranking officer’s “dual loyalty” and bluntly suggested that if he harbours such deep affection for the right-wing organisation, he should resign from service and formally enter politics.

The controversy erupted after a video circulated showing the 1997-batch officer addressing a regional Hindu Sammelan. In his speech, Nangre Patil openly lauded the RSS and its founder, Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, describing him as a farsighted nationalist.

While the organisers have framed these statewide gatherings as strictly cultural and apolitical, Raj Thackeray dismissed the claim, asserting that a cursory look at the organisers and their motives reveals deep-rooted political backing.

“A police officer’s loyalty must lie solely and exclusively with the duties of the police force,” Raj Thackeray stated. “We all fondly believed that the Khaki colour of Nangre Patil’s uniform represented the police department. It is only now we realise his Khaki mirrors the old uniform of the Sangh.”

“If you feel affection for the Sangh, keep it in your heart. If you want to speak about it publicly, resign from service and join the RSS or the BJP. After all, a rehabilitation guarantee scheme for disgruntled or favoured officers has been running for years—your rehabilitation will happen too,” he remarked.

Shifting his focus to the state’s top leadership, the MNS chief questioned whether the Chief Minister and the Home Minister condone such overt political alignment from serving bureaucrats. Warning of a dangerous slippery slope, Thackeray questioned the long-term precedent being set by the administration’s silence.

To emphasise his point, Raj Thackeray drew a direct historical comparison to a 2012 incident involving his own party. He quoted the 2012 precedent, saying that during an MNS protest march against the Raza Academy in Mumbai, a police constable had stepped forward to stand in solidarity with the police force and the protest’s stance. The government at the time promptly placed the constable on compulsory leave for abandoning professional impartiality.

Raj Thackeray demanded to know whether the current government would show the same administrative resolve in Nangre Patil’s case, or if rules are being selectively applied based on ideological alignment.

The MNS chief concluded his statement by connecting the officer’s actions to the broader political climate in Maharashtra, where lawmakers and MPs face constant political realignments. He warned that if even senior police leadership fails to remain fiercely impartial, citizens will lose all faith in administrative institutions.

Acknowledging Nangre Patil’s established track record as an efficient and capable officer, Raj Thackeray made a direct appeal: “If you run after the government or the organisations backing them, you are giving them exactly what they want. Do not pawn your sense of institutional propriety before political parties and organisations.”

Raj Thackeray’s statement comes days after the Maharashtra Congress launched a sharp offensive against Nangre Patil, expressing concerns regarding administrative impartiality and constitutional propriety.

The Congress party claimed that this is not an isolated incident involving a single officer, but a structural degradation of civil service integrity. It has placed the onus squarely on CM Devendra Fadnavis to clarify whether the state government tolerates active police leadership doubling as ideological ideologues, warning that such silent compliance establishes a highly destructive precedent for the future of administrative governance in Maharashtra.

Patna, June 27: Several incidents, including electrocution, a fatal stabbing, and clashes during Muharram processions, were reported from different parts of Bihar on Friday, prompting heightened security arrangements in several districts.

Three youths sustained severe burn injuries after coming into contact with live electric wires during a Muharram Tazia procession in Dhandhar village under the Wazirganj police station area of Gaya district.

The injured have been identified as Mohammad Asgar, Mohammad Kamaluddin, and Mohammad Umar Ali.

All three belong to Bhareti village. Mohammad Asgar is reported to be in critical condition and has been referred to a higher medical centre for specialised treatment, while the other two are undergoing treatment at a local health facility.

Following the incident, electricity supply along the route was immediately disconnected, and police officials reached the spot to restore order.

The procession, which was briefly halted, later resumed peacefully.

Station House Officer of Wazirganj Police Station, Neeraj Kumar, stated that the injured youths were receiving treatment and that no further untoward incident occurred.

Local residents, however, expressed concern over the presence of low-hanging power lines along the procession route and demanded greater precautions in the future.

In another incident, a youth identified as Md. Javed, a resident of Gopalpur village, died after being stabbed during a Muharram gathering at Bhutta Chowk under the Kalyanpur police station area in Samastipur district.

According to preliminary investigations, an altercation reportedly broke out between two individuals during an akhada performance.

The dispute allegedly continued away from the procession site, where the victim was stabbed.

Police suspect that an earlier dispute between the two individuals may have led to the incident.

Sadar DSP-II Sanjay Kumar stated that the accused has been identified and police teams are conducting raids to apprehend him.

A separate incident occurred at Karbala Maidan near Jogbani in Araria district, close to the Indo-Nepal border.

A Tazia procession arriving from the Rani area of Nepal sought to join the Indian procession.

Security personnel reportedly denied entry due to law-and-order concerns, after which tensions escalated.

Reports of stone-pelting led to panic and temporary chaos in the area.

Some shops were damaged, although authorities have not officially confirmed injuries to any individual.

Police and security agencies, including the SSB, deployed additional forces to the sensitive border area and restored normalcy.

Jogbani SHO Mahadev Kamat stated that investigations are underway and that legal action will be taken against those found responsible.

Authorities have increased security arrangements in several districts, including Gaya, Araria, Muzaffarpur, Patna, and Katihar, following reports of isolated disturbances during Muharram observances.

Police and administrative officials have appealed to residents to maintain peace and avoid spreading or believing rumours circulating on social media.

The administration has also indicated that preventive measures, particularly regarding crowd management and electrical safety along procession routes, will be reviewed to avoid similar incidents in the future.

Ahmedabad, June 26: The Ahmedabad Police arrested a 42-year-old man who allegedly absconded from court after being sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment in a case involving offences under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, rape and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, officials said on Friday.

According to the Local Crime Branch (Zone-7), the accused, identified as Sultan alias Manoj Kumar, a resident of Fatehwadi area in Ahmedabad, was apprehended on Thursday evening during a special drive launched ahead of the annual Rath Yatra to trace absconding offenders and strengthen preventive policing.

“The city police commissioner and the joint commissioner of police had directed a coordinated operation to locate wanted and convicted offenders, particularly those involved in serious crimes, to help maintain law and order and ensure public safety during the festival,” officials said.

Acting on these instructions, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-7) Shivam Verma instructed police stations and the LCB to prepare a special action plan using human Intelligence and technical inputs to trace absconding accused.

The breakthrough came while Police Sub-Inspector H.D. Vaghela and his team were patrolling the Zone-7 area.

Police said Head Constables Nashrullakhan and Mahendrasinh, along with Police Constable Irfan, received specific Intelligence that led to the arrest of the accused, who had allegedly fled from the court of the Seventh Additional District and Sessions Judge in Ahmedabad (Rural), after being sentenced.

The accused faces conviction under Sections 363, 366, 376(2)(N), 419 and 114 of the Indian Penal Code, along with Sections 4, 5(L), 6 and 8 of the POCSO Act and Sections 3(2), 3(5-A) and 3(2)(5) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The arrest follows other recent efforts by Gujarat police to track down fugitives. Earlier this week, the Ahmedabad Crime Branch arrested a life convict in the 1992 Radhika Gymkhana massacre case who had allegedly remained on the run for nearly seven years after jumping parole.

Last month, authorities also launched a manhunt after a convict serving sentences in murder and POCSO cases escaped from Sabarmati Central Jail before being traced.