Nagpur: A day after absconding BJP leader Omprakash alias Munna Yadav’s anticipatory bail plea was rejected, his arch rival Mangal Yadav has approached the judiciary challenging the crime branch decision to drop ‘attempt to murder’ charge under Section 307 of IPC against Munna.
A division bench comprising justices Vasanti Naik and Swapna Joshi is expected to hear the plea on Tuesday. Munna, who is chairman of Maharashtra State Construction Workers’ Welfare Board (MSCWWB), and his brother Bala’s bail plea was rejected on Monday by the sessions court here in the case of beating up Mangal Yadav and his relatives.
While praying for CID or CBI investigations into the entire affair, the petitioner alleged that pressure on the police authorities led to dropping of serious charge like attempt to murder against Munna’s entire family. He contended that the BJP leader being a close aide of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis the cops are not serious in probing the case and failed to trace him for over four months.
After Dhantoli cops failed to nab Munna, the probe was shifted to the crime branch, which dropped Section 307 and replaced it with Section 326 of IPC, thus diluting the case and making it easier for Munna to secure the bail. Even Mangal and his accomplices were earlier booked under Section 307, which was then replaced by Section 324 for voluntarily causing hurt and provisions for rioting.
Munna and his family, including his wife Lakshmi and sons — Karan and Arjun — were booked for attacking and seriously injuring Mangal Yadav, his sister Manju, brothers — Papa and Gabbar Yadav, and others, on October 21 over a dispute on bursting firecrackers. They were attacked with sword, iron rods, sticks and bricks, which left them seriously injured and admitted in hospital. The police had at that time booked Munna and family under Sections 324, 325, 147, 148 and 149 of IPC, besides 307, for attempt to murder, before dropping the last offence.
