Nationalist Congress Party MP and Satara royal family chief Udayanraje Bhosale was arrested after he presented himself before the Satara police officers on Tuesday. He reached the police station in the morning followed by his supporters from the district. He was later produced before a local court which sent him to judicial custody for 14 days. Satara city is observing a total shut down to protest against his arrest.
Udayanraje was facing arrest in connection with a case of extortion and harassment of an industrialist. The only problem was that the Satara district police appeared to be afraid to arrest him and were worried that law and order situation in the district will turn volatile if the law takes its course.
Udayanraje is a descendent of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Maharashtra's most revered king, who laid the foundation of the Maratha empire. The Satara royal has a huge following in the district. He was once accused of murdering Sharad Leve, an NCP activist. Leve was murdered in 1999, Udayanraje was with the BJP then and was a minister in the first Shiv Sena BJP government. Later, he was acquitted of the charges.
A few months ago, Rajkumar Jain, owner of Sona Alloys based in Lonand in Satara district, registered a complaint with Satara police alleging harassment and extortion by Udayanraje and 14 others.
The case had its origins in the labour problems faced by the manufacturing unit situated in Lonand industrial estate. On March 22, Jain registered a complaint that personal assistant of Udayanraje had called him and demanded protection money. Jain claimed that he had paid the amount for a few months. When he defaulted on the payments for two months he was called at Satara to meet labour department officials in order to sort out labour issues. When Jain went to the state guest house in Satara Udayanraje was waiting for him. Upon meeting Jain, Udayanraje is alleged to have slapped him and threatened him.
When the complaint was registered, Satara police took action and arrested nine accused. They, however, did not arrest Udayanraje then. Meanwhile, the Satara royal approached district and sessions court to obtain bail. His plea was turned down by the local court. Three days ago, Bombay High Court also rejected Udayanraje's pre-arrest bail plea. But the police failed to take action against Udayanraje.
Home department was treading the path cautiously as it felt that a hasty and rash handling of the case could cause serious trouble in the district. Meanwhile, NCP legislator Jitendra Awhad took to twitter to defend Udayanraje. He claimed that the royal had been falsely implicated in the case. Maharashtra minister of state for home, Deepak Kesarkar, said that the police will take action at the right time.
BJP MP and Kolhapur royal family member Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje, too, has sided with Udayanraje. Another prominent personality that has taken up Udayanraje's side is Sambhajirao Bhide guruji. Bhide guruji heads Shiv Pratishthan, an NGO which has a huge following in western Maharashtra. A Brahmin and a bachelor, octogenarian Bhide guruji has excellent equations with Satara and Kolhapur royal families.
On Monday, Bhide guruji cautioned Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis against arresting Udayanraje. He, too, claimed that Udayanraje had been falsely implicated in the case. Arresting Udayanraje would be a big mistake and entire Maharashtra will take to the streets to protest if such a decision is taken, said Bhide guruji. At the root of this case is a labour dispute over the demand of wage hike by the labour union at Sona Alloys. The union leadership owes its allegiance to Udayanraje.
