New Delhi: BJP leader and former Lok Sabha MP Kirit Somaiya on Monday, September 20, was stopped by police at the Karad railway station in Maharasthra’s Satara district and detained at the Karad circuit house, the Indian Express reported.Somaiya was on his way to Kolhapur when he was stopped. Police stopped Me at Karad under Prohibitory order 9am Press Conference at Karad Circuit House I will expose 1 more scam of Hassan Mushrifपोलिसांनी मला निषेधाच्या आदेशान्वये कराडल थांबवले 9 वाजता कराड सर्किट हाऊसला मी पत्रकार परिषदेत हसन मुश्रीफ यांचा आणखी एक घोटाळा उघड करणारं— Kirit Somaiya (@KiritSomaiya) September 20, 2021On September 14, Somaiya had levelled allegations of corruption against Hassan Mushriff, the NCP minister for rural development. The allegations, which were denied by Mushriff, included money laundering and the holding of “benami” entities in the names of his kin. Benami transactions are those made in the name of another person or entity.In response, Mushriff had noted that he would file a Rs 100 crore defamation case against Somaiya, the Indian Express had reported.Somaiya had also tweeted that Rahul Rekhawar, collector, Kolhapur, had issued an order prohibiting Somaiya from entering the district under IPC Section 144, citing a potential threat to his life and a possible law-and-order situation should he visit. The September 19 order also noted that police in the area would be preoccupied with Ganesh immersions and thus would not be able to provide Somaiya with security services.Thackeray Sarkar Dadagiri, Notice is for Kolhapur District NO ENTRY, but not allowing Me to move out from My House. Not allowing to go for Ganesh VisarjanMulund Police wants to ARREST Me, but No Warrant, No Order…it’s total illegal @Dev_Fadnavis @BJP4India @ChDadaPatil— Kirit Somaiya (@KiritSomaiya) September 19, 2021Shailesh Balkawde, Kolhapur superintendent of police told PTI that a team of district police had intercepted Somaiya at Karad railway station and had served him a copy of the prohibitory order.“After we told him that he was prohibited from entering the district, he cooperated and will now return after addressing a press conference in Karad,” Balkawde said.Sunil Kamble, senior inspector of the Navghar police station in Mumbai had asked Somaiya to follow the Kolhapur collector’s orders. Somaiya’s residence in Mulund falls under the jurisdiction of the Navghar police station.The BJP’s Maharashtra president Chandrakant Patil called the move “dictatorial” and accused the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government of trying to supress Somaiya’s voice for trying to expose corrupt ministers. He also noted that the BJP and Somaiya would take these cases till their logical end, the Hindustan Times reported.Devendra Fadnavis, former chief minister of Maharashtra, said that the state had been witnessing an “undeclared emergency” since the MVA government took charge, alleging that anyone who questioned the government or tried to unearth corruption is “arrested and jailed”.(With PTI inpputs)
