Awhad demands CID probe into Badlapur ashram attack incident

Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and Kalwa-Mumbra MLA Jitendra Awhad said here today that a CID probe must be ordered into the June 2015 Badlapur incident involving Kulgaon-Badlapur Municipal Council Vice President Ashish Damle and godman Ratnakar Maharaj.
Addressing a press conference at the circuit house here, Awhad claimed that the whole incident was a "stage managed" conspiracy by the opposition Shiv Sena and BJP to malign Damle and sabotage his political career.
It was nothing but a political conspiracy by the opposition which exerted pressure on the police to act against Damle, he said, adding that only an enquiry would bring out the truth about the incident.

He said that the NCP was right in suspending Damle at that juncture for alleged misdeeds which was a routine party procedure, but he would be taken back into the party after his innocence is established.
He said that Damle had reached Sadhana Ashram shortly before midnight, to fetch his girlfriend Pallavi Ratnakar who was camping there. A quarrel between him and Ratnakar Maharaj was followed by a clash between sympathisers of the two.
Later, it was alleged that Damle and around 25 of his followes raided the ashram, beat up the inmates, kidnapped Pallavi, snatched a gun as well as looted Rs 1 lakh in cash from the ashram, he said.

In turn, Damle had alleged that Ratnakar had abused him as well as fired at him and his men, he said.
The police had registered offences against Damle and his followers under Section 363, Section 395, Section 452, Section 323, Section 504, Section 506 and Section 427 of the Indian Penal Code.
Damle went absconding for some days after the incident, only to be arrested by the police after his anticipatory bail was rejected by court.