Union Minister Kapil Patil Faces Charges Over Poll Day Incident in Thane

Union Minister Kapil Patil is facing a non-cognisable offence for allegedly yelling at a policeman during the Lok Sabha elections in Thane. The incident occurred on May 20 at a Bhiwandi polling booth under his constituency. Charges include obstructing a public servant and criminal intimidation.

A non-cognisable offence has been registered against Union minister Kapil Patil for allegedly yelling at a policeman in Maharashtra's Thane district during Lok Sabha elections on May 20, an official said on Wednesday.

The Union minister of state Panchayati Raj represents the Bhiwandi Lok Sabha constituency and is the BJP nominee from there this time.

In his complaint, the police sub-inspector said the minister and four others arrived at a polling booth in Bhiwandi, where he was deployed, on May 20 over certain issues. Bhiwandi and 12 other seats in Maharashtra went to polls that day in the fifth and last phase of general elections in the state.

The minister allegedly screamed at the cop, threatened him and obstructed his work, a senior police official said citing the complaint. A non-cognisable offence has been registered against Patil under Indian Penal Code sections 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of duty), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation), he said.

In non-cognizable offences, police can neither register an FIR nor investigate or effect arrest without express permission or directions from the court.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)