Bombay HC rejects NCP leader Bhosale's bail plea

Mumbai: The Bombay high court has rejected anticipatory bail application of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP Udayan Raje Bhosale. The NCP MP, who is a descendant of King Shivaji, is one of the accused in an assault and extortion case in Satara district. Justice Prakash Naik was hearing a petition filed by Bhosale after Satara district court rejected his bail in April.

Bhosale allegedly threatened, attacked and demanded money from a Lonand-based businessman. Bhosale, who is a head of Sona Allies Labour Union, has been demanding higher wages from owners of Sona Allies, which is a firm that manufactures bricks from raw iron in Lonand in Satara district.

According to the complainant Rajkumar Jain, the owner of Sona Allies, Bhosale summoned him on February 18 to his guest house in Satara. Mr Jain has alleged that Bhosale assaulted him and stole money and other documents.

The police has registered a case under the various sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC) for extortion and assault against Bhosale and his aides. Nine people have been arrested in the
case so far.

The prosecution claimed, “There are two unions in Sona Allies — while one union is headed by Bhosale, another is headed by Ramraje Nimbalkar. The workers affiliated to Mr Nimbalkar’s union are allegedly getting more work as compared to Bhosale’s union. Irked over this, Bhosale summoned Mr Jain.”  “Bhosale had summoned Jain and his personal assistant. He threatened them and asked them to pay '2 lakh per month,” additional government pleader Ajay Patil told The Asian Age.“We told the court that while assaulting Mr Jain, Bhosale told his accomplices to bring a knife and gun. If they had been brought it on time then they might have killed them,” said Mr Patil.