Maha Council: Over 2,600 cases related to sexual assault pending in forensic labs, says minister

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Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil on Monday said Director General (law and order) will conduct a probe into police action against independent MLA Ravi Rana, in connection with an incident of ink thrown on the Amravati municipal commissioner by people angry over the removal of a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj there last month.

Rana said in the state Assembly that the Amravati police had filed cases against him under IPC Sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 353 (assault or use of criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty) when he was in Delhi.

He alleged that police had entered his house at 3 am and harassed his ailing parents and wife Navneet Rana, who is the Lok Sabha member from Amravati.

The Amravati municipal chief and the police commissioner were "hand in glove" in removing the statue of Chhatrapati shivaji Maharaj and dumping it in a godown, he further charged.

People who were enraged by this action threw ink on the municipal commissioner. "I don't support this act," the legislator said. "But, the police and the administration filed cases against me and I was told that the police are under pressure from the highest level to arrest me," he claimed.

Replying to the issue, state Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil said the statue of the Maratha warrior king was removed as per rules since permission of the local administration was not taken for erecting it.

"After the ink attack on the civic commissioner, police had no option but to take stern action. The DG (law and order) will inquire into the police case against MLA Rana," the minister said.

After the case was filed against the MLA, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Devendra Fadnavis had claimed that police acted in a "high-handed manner".

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