Nationalist Congress party MLA Jitendra Awhad announced Monday that he was resigning as a legislator after the the Mumbra police in Maharashtra registered a case against him for allegedly manhandling a woman activist of the BJP in a crowd while leaving from a function. This was the second First Information Report (FIR) registered against the Mumbra MLA within a week.
Police have filed two fake cases against me in the last 72 hours and that too under Section 354 of the IPC. This is the murder of democracy. I will fight. I have decided to resign from my MLA post” Awhad tweeted early on Monday. The NCP leader said that he was being targeted with “false cases”. An officer from Thane police said the second FIR was registered on charges of molestation based on a complaint from the woman on Sunday night. A police officer said no decision was taken to arrest Awhad in the alleged molestation case. A purported video of the incident shows Awhad, while leaving from a crowd, pushing the woman out of the way and walking ahead.
Awhad supporters protested outside the police station and at various places across Mumbra soon after the news about the second FIR came to light. Vehicles were damaged on the newly inaugurated Y junction flyover Sunday. The protesters stopped several auto-rickshaws and other vehicles. Awhad and 11 others were arrested by the Thane police Friday and released on bail by the Thane sessions court Saturday. Among the conditions set by the court while granting bail was that Awhad should not try to influence witnesses and appear before the Vartak Nagar police station whenever he is summoned.
