Shiv Sena ‘fake affidavits’ case: Mumbai Police begin probe

Shinde camp has alleged that Uddhav camp had submitted phoney affidavits before Election Commission to prove its strength

Following allegations by the ruling Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction that the rival Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena camp had reportedly submitted fake affidavits before the Election Commission to prove its strength, teams of the Mumbai Crime Branch on Wednesday began their investigations in four districts of Maharashtra.

Crime Branch teams reached Kolhapur, Palghar, Nashik and Ahmednagar in connection with the case. Last week, a complaint was lodged by the Mumbai Police at Bandra’s Nirmal Nagar under Indian Penal Code Sections 420 (cheating) and 465 (forgery) after the police had recovered the affidavits from a notary wherein important details such as Aadhaar cards of Shiv Sena supporters [belonging to the Thackeray faction] were attached.

On October 9, former Thane Mayor and Eknath Shinde group (now known as ‘Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena’) spokesperson Naresh Mhaske had claimed that the Mumbai Police had seized more than 4,682 such ‘phoney affidavits’ allegedly created by the Thackeray camp to show its strength before the poll body.

Speaking in Mumbai on Wednesday, Mr. Mhaske alleged that the Thackeray faction [now called the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray)] had reportedly given a sum of ₹10 crore to get these ‘fake affidavits’ made while demanding the State police and the Crime Branch to carry out an exhaustive probe into the affair.

“There are such affidavits being created by the Thackeray group in every district, not just these four. I urge the State police to carry out raids across Maharashtra and nab the masterminds behind this. This is a scam comparable in magnitude to the Telgi scam and lakhs of such bogus affidavits have been created,” alleged Mr. Mhaske.

He said the affair only reflected the sad state in which the Thackeray faction found itself today, while remarking that support for Mr. Thackeray was dwindling so fast that phoney affidavits had to be made to show he still had the backing of the party rank and file.