Thane man facing 29 criminal cases detained ahead of LS polls; sent to Pune jail

A man from Thane facing more than two dozen criminal cases was detained on Thursday under a stringent law and lodged in Pune's Yerawada central prison for one year as a preventive measure ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, police said.

This was first such detention in Thane ahead of polling in the city on May 20, a senior police official said.

The history-sheeter, Irfan Gulab Sheikh, who faces 29 criminal cases, including an attempt to murder, theft and illegal possession of arms, was detained under the Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous Activities (MPDA) Act, police said in a release.

The police said it was necessary to take preventive action against Sheikh (28), a resident of Vandrapada in Ambernath town of Thane district, to ensure peaceful elections.

''He is a notorious criminal and had let loose a reign of terror in Ambernath through his activities and was declared a 'hazardous person','' said the release.

All criminal cases against him were lodged at the Ambernath police station.

In the last three to four years his criminal activities had increased considerably and once he was out on bail, he would again commit crimes, the release said.

After detention under the MPDA Act, Sheikh was sent to Pune's Yerawada prison, where he will be lodged for one year, it said.