Nagpur: After getting ad-interim pre-arrest bail from Supreme Court on April 23, BJP leader Omprakash ‘Munna’ Yadav has resumed charge as chairman of the Maharashtra Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board having rank of a minister of state (MoS). Yadav, who was facing attempt to murder and other charges, was absconding for many months. Labour and employment minister Sambhaji Patil Nilangekar was given charge of the post while Yadav was on the run.
Actually, Yadav’s tenure as board’s chairman ended on May 27. A proposal for extending it has reportedly been submitted with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.
A close aide of Fadnavis, Yadav and his family members, wife Lakshmi (corporator) 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 last year following a dispute over bursting of firecrackers. Yadav could not get anticipatory bail from district and high court. He got it from Supreme Court on April 23. Between October 21 and April 23, Yadav was absconding and the police failed to arrest him.
Geeta, wife of Mangal Yadav, submitted two RTI applications dated April 10 and sought information whether Yadav attended meeting of the Board or had any correspondences with it as chairman between October 21 and April 10. The board in its reply, sent her copies of board meetings held between January 3 and April 10.
As per RTI documents, Nilangekar was chairman of the board up to April 10. Nilangekar held board’s meetings as chairman in this period. It now appears Fadnavis had quietly replaced Yadav with Nilangekar when the former was absconding.
Sources from Yadav family confirmed to TOI that he resumed as board’s chairman in May and continued till May 27. Yadav himself refused to give any statement to TOI about his replacement, resumption of charge and current status. Nilangekar also did not respond to TOI calls and messages.
Before the October 21 incident, Yadav had many other criminal cases against him.
