A young man who visited the office of MLA Sanjay Kenekar to request a recommendation letter for a contractual job at the municipal corporation accidentally left behind his bag, which contained an airgun, in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The incident came to light on Saturday morning when Kenekar’s aides, security personnel, and office staff arrived at the Kranti Chowk office as usual. They noticed a black bag lying outside the legislator’s chamber. When an employee lifted it, the unusual weight raised suspicion. On opening the bag and spotting a pistol-like object inside, panic spread across the premises, prompting an immediate alert to the police.
Senior officers from Kranti Chowk Police Station rushed to the spot and seized the suspected firearm. Initial rumours that a pistol had been found inside the MLA’s office triggered widespread concern in social and political circles. However, upon closer inspection, the police determined that the weapon was not a real firearm but an airgun. Following this clarification, officers began tracing the individual who had visited the office earlier. By around 6 pm, police identified the youth as Ritesh Santosh Holkar, a 23-year-old resident of Sainagar in Satara, and detained him from his home.
Holkar, a third-year B.Sc. student, had reportedly been searching for employment opportunities for several days. Someone had advised him to obtain a recommendation letter from Kenekar to secure a contractual position in the municipal corporation. He visited the office on Friday evening for this purpose. Police investigations revealed that he had purchased the airgun online six months ago as a hobby item. A case has been registered against him at Kranti Chowk Police Station, and Police Constable Santosh Mudiraj is conducting further inquiries. Kenekar stated that strict action should be taken if criminal intent is proven, but if the youth possessed the airgun out of immaturity, he hopes the matter does not severely impact his career.