Six from Uddhav camp arrested for assault on rebel MLA’s convoy

According to Shiv Sena MLA Uday Samant, the attack on his car was carried out in a pre-meditated fashion

The strife between rival Shiv Sena factions boiled over after six Sena partymen loyal to the Uddhav Thackeray faction were arrested by the Pune police on Wednesday in connection with an attack on ‘rebel’ MLA and former Maharashtra Minister Uday Samant.

While five of the accused, including Sena Pune city chief Sanjay More (an Uddhav camp loyalist) were from Pune, a Hingoli-based leader Baban Thorat was detained in Mumbai and brought to Pune.

All six were produced before a local court where they were remanded to a two-day police custody till August 6.

A case has been registered under Indian penal Code (IPC) sections 307 (attempt to murder) 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of duty) and other sections pertaining to rioting against 15 persons at Pune’s Bharati Vidyapeeth police station, said officials.

On Tuesday night, Mr. Samant’s car had been smashed in the city’s Katraj area where Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray was holding a public rally. Mr. Thackeray had spoken against the 40 rebel MLAs in the Eknath Shinde camp and their ‘betrayal’ of Sena president Uddhav Thackeray.

Both Aaditya Thackeray and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had been in the same area during the former’s public address on Tuesday.

According to Mr. Samant, the attack on his car was carried out in a pre-meditated fashion, with the MLA stating that he feared the real target may have been CM Shinde’s convoy.