A court in Maharashtra`s Thane district has rejected the pre-arrest bail application of Vaibhav Gaikwad, whose father, BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad allegedly shot at a Shiv Sena leader inside a police station in Ulhasnagar last month, reported PTI.
Vaibhav has been absconding since the incident took place on February 2. BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad had fired six rounds on Mahesh Gaikwad, the city president of Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) inside the cabin of senior inspector of Hill Line police station in Ulhasnagar, over a land dispute. The incident was captured in the CCTV.
As per PTI report, Vaibhav Gaikwad`s counsel told the Kalyan court that the charges against his client were false and that he had been wrongly implicated due to his familial association. He also claimed discrepancies in CCTV footage to suggest that Mahesh Gaikwad`s lawyers might have orchestrated the firing, the official said citing the argument.
After hearing the defence and the public prosecutor, Additional District and Sessions Court Judge S G Inamdar rejected Vaibhav`s anticipatory bail application, he said.
Vaibhav`s father MLA Gaikwad is currently in Navi Mumbai`s Taloja jail. The Thane crime branch officials until now arrested five accused including Ganpat Gaikwad, his driver, his bodyguard Harshal Kene, Sandeep Sarvankar and Vicky. Vaibhav is still absconding.
Meanwhile, victim Mahesh Gaikwad who was admitted in Jupiter Hospital after the firing incident, was discharged last month after 24 days of treatment in the ICU.
(With PTI inputs)
