Dadar firing: Police gives clean chit to Shiv Sena MLA Sada Sarvankar
During the immersion procession last year, there was a clash between the two Sena factions led by Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray in Prabhadevi and later, outside the Dadar police station during which there was an alleged firing from the Shinde faction
Mumbai: Shiv Sena MLA Sada Sarvankar of the Shinde faction who was accused of firing a revolver outside the Dadar police station during Ganesh visarjan last year got a clean chit from the police. After investigation, the police concluded that the bullet was fired from his weapon, but by someone else.
Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday confirmed the same in a response to a question posed by the leader of the opposition Ambadas Danve in the state legislative council.
During the immersion procession last year, there was a clash between the two Sena factions led by Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray in Prabhadevi and later, outside the Dadar police station during which there was an alleged firing from the Shinde faction. Workers from the Thackeray faction alleged that it was done by Sarvankar who is MLA from Dadar-Mahim area. Subsequently, they staged a protest outside the Dadar police station following which Sarvankar’s revolver was seized and sent for examination. An FIR was also registered against Sarvankar for rioting and not handling weapons properly and the investigations are still on.
In the written reply on Friday, Fadnavis said that the ballistic report was sent by the forensic sciences laboratory in Kalina. The reply says that the bullet was fired from the public representative’s weapon, but it was fired by someone else.
Fadnavis said that CCTV footage was screened and statements of 14 witnesses were registered.
Speaking to the media, Sarvankar said, “I had maintained there was no firing. The police had registered an FIR and at that time, there was no complaint of firing. Thereafter, I was told that the bullet and the weapon matched (which means it was fired from the same weapon as Sarvankar). The revolver was in the car and when it was being brought, there was misfiring.”
Former mayor and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Vishakha Raut slammed the decision by the police. “We have seen pictures on social media that Sarvankar was firing the revolver. What can we do, if the police decide to give him a clean chit. He may escape here, but finally, he has to face God one day.”