Pune, July 24 A Pune Magistrate A.C. Birajdar has issued a non-bailable arrest warrant (NBW) against Shivba Sanghatana leader Manoj Jarange-Patil -- who is leading the Maratha quotas stir -- in connection with an 11-year old cheating case, officials of Kothrud Police station said.
The NBW– the second of its kind in the recent past – pertains to flouting an agreement with a drama producer in 2013, and was issued against Jarange-Patil and his two aides, Datta Bahir and Arjun Jadhav on Tuesday.
Reacting sharply to the development, Jarange-Patil on Wednesday alleged that this was a plot by the government to throw him behind bars and bump him off in jail.
He called upon his supporters that in case he is jailed, then they must make all efforts to defeat the ruling party and opposition party candidates in all the seats during the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections.
In the latest instance, his lawyer Harshad Nimbalkar said that they have urged the court not to issue the warrant as he is busy with the Maratha agitation and on a hunger strike from July 20 but assured the court that Jarange-Patil will come for the next hearing on August 2.
The complainant, Dhananjay Ghorpade, a drama producer from Pune, claimed that in 2013, Jarange-Patil and the other accused had hired him for organising multiple shows of his stage drama, "Shambhuraje", in Jalna.
At least five shows were staged and rehearsals for another show were also carried out but later the accused allegedly backtracked and did not make the payment of Rs 30 lakh, as was agreed among them.
After his pleas went unheeded, Ghorpade filed a court complaint and at least four summons were issued which Jarange-Patil had ignored.
On a previous occasion, the court had issued a NBW against Jarange-Patil but he appeared before the court, paid a fine of Rs 500 and agreed to report for the next hearing.
Meanwhile, rubbishing Jarange-Patil's apprehensions and allegations, Bharatiya Janata Party's Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the government has nothing to do with his case, while another leader Pravin Darekar said that the Maratha leader is keen to go to jail to gain publicity and sympathy.
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