Ahead of the Maharashtra Elections, shocking news has emerged from the Shirur Assembly constituency. Rishiraj Pawar, son of NCP SP candidate Ashok Pawar from the Sharad Pawar faction, was abducted, forced to strip with a woman in a bungalow, and filmed. His captors then demanded a ransom of Rs. 10 crore. Advocate Asim Sarode and Amrapali Ashok Pawar disclosed this alarming incident during a press conference.
Advocate Sarode explained that on Saturday, November 9, while Rishiraj was campaigning for his father, he was approached by a team member, Bhau Kolpe, who suggested they meet briefly. Trusting his colleague, Rishiraj accompanied Kolpe to a village near Mandavgan Phata. Once there, Kolpe and two other men took him to a room, tied him up, and detained him. Rishiraj was then forced to strip, and a woman was brought in to perform inappropriate acts with him. When he resisted, his captors threatened to kill him, forcing him to comply for photos and videos.
When Rishiraj questioned their motives, the men claimed someone in Pune had offered them Rs. 10 crore for the footage. Eventually, Rishiraj managed to persuade his captors to let him go by offering a larger sum, claiming he had friends nearby who could provide cash. Under this pretense, he led them to the nearby village, where he managed to retrieve his phone and message his associates. His supporters arrived shortly after, capturing Kolpe and seizing his phone, leading to the incident’s full exposure.
Following these events, police registered a case against Bhau Kolpe, the woman involved, and two others at Shirur Police Station. Assistant Police Inspector Hanmant Giri is currently investigating.
Ashok Pawar expressed his dismay, stating, "What happened to my son, Rishiraj, is disgraceful. It has disturbed my peace of mind. Elections should be fought democratically, not by threatening and blackmailing families. This attack is not just on me, but on my entire family, and it’s utterly condemnable. The police must investigate and expose the mastermind behind this.”