A magisterial court at Sillod in Aurangabad district has passed an issue process order directing "re-registration of summary criminal case" against state agriculture minister Abdul Sattar over a private complaint accusing him of filing false affidavits during the 2014 and 2019 assembly polls.Social activist Mahesh Shankarpelli from Sillod and Dr Abhishek Haridas from Pune had in October 2021 filed a petition in Sillod Civil and Criminal Court alleging that Sattar had given false information about his properties and education in the affidavits filed for 2014 and 2019 assembly elections.Following a court order, the police investigated the complaint and found that there was indeed a difference between the ground information and the one given in the affidavits, as per a HT report.
Meanwhile, Sattar moved an application seeking the court’s permission to submit his response, he said. “But the court rejected his request and instead issued process against him for hiding information about his agricultural and non-agricultural land, residential and non-residential properties, and educational qualification in election affidavits he had filed in 2014 and 2019. Sattar will now have to face the trial and if found guilty, will be liable for punishment.”The process was issued under section 125 (A) of the Representation of the People Act, Shankarpelli said.“We will submit all the proof of Sattar’s misdeeds in the court. We are confident that he will be punished by the court. Chief minister Eknath Shinde should ask him to resign,” he said, adding that the next hearing is expected in August. Sattar recently courted a controversy after he used abusive language for NCP MP and Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule.