31 Shiv Sena officials, activists acquitted

Aurangabad, March 4:

Judicial magistrate (first class) P S Muley on February 23 acquitted 31 officials and activists of the charges of breaching the prohibition orders issued by the commissioner of police and police law.

In 2015, the then Cantonment board vice president and Shiv Sena city deputy chief Kishor Kachwah led an agitation against the administration’s decision to demolish religious places at Bajajnagar in Waluj area. Corporators and party workers including Subhash Shejwal, Ganesh Lokhande, Nandu Mhaske, Hiralal Wani, Vilas Nikam, Manish Mahalkar, Vanita Thakur, Kavita Suradkar, Shilatai Mangate, Kaushalya Nagare gathered and shouted slogans. They also initiated rasta-roko agitation. Police arrested the agitators at Padegaon and a case was registered against them with Cantonment police station.

The prosecution could not prove that the agitators led by Kuchwah shouted slogans and breached the prohibitory orders of the commissioner of police. Hence, the court giving the benefit of the doubt acquitted the officials and the agitators. Adv Zia-ul-Mustafa appeared for the accused.