Molestation case: Thane court to hear NCP MLA Awhad's anticipatory bail plea on Tuesday

Nationalist Congress Party NCP MLA and former Maharashtra minister Jitendra Awhad on Monday filed an application seeking pre-arrest bail in the molestation case before a court in Thane. The court has directed the Thane city police not to arrest Awhad till his pre-arrest bail application is heard and disposed of.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA and former Maharashtra minister Jitendra Awhad on Monday filed an application seeking pre-arrest bail in the molestation case before a court in Thane. Additional sessions court judge PM Gupta has kept the matter for hearing on Tuesday morning, an official said. The court has directed the Thane city police not to arrest Awhad till his pre-arrest bail application is heard and disposed of. Advocates Gajanan Chavan and Prashant Kadam are representing Awhad.

The Mumbra police registered a case after midnight on Monday against Awhad under Indian Penal Code section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) on the complaint of a woman.

The complainant alleged the Mumbra-Kalwa MLA pushed her while making way for himself during the dispersal of the crowd after an event of chief minister Eknath Shinde in Mumbra on Sunday evening, as per the First Information Report (FIR). Awhad has denied the charge and announced that he would resign in view of ''fake'' cases being registered against him. PTI COR NSK NSK