NCP MLA Jitendra Awhad gets anticipatory bail in molestation case

THANE: A court here on Tuesday granted pre-arrest bail to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA and former Maharashtra minister Jitendra Awhad in a molestation case registered against him.

Sessions court judge PM Gupta granted the anticipatory bail on a bond of Rs 15,000 with certain conditions, the lawyer representing Awhad told reporters.

The prosecution opposed the plea saying it is a sensitive case.

Awhad's lawyer said the charge against his client was politically motivated.

The Mumbra police registered a case after midnight on Monday against Awhad under Indian Penal Code section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) on the complaint of a woman.

The complainant alleged the Mumbra-Kalwa MLA pushed her while making way for himself during the dispersal of the crowd after an event of chief minister Eknath Shinde in Mumbra on Sunday evening, as per the First Information Report (FIR).

Awhad on Monday denied the charge and announced he would resign in view of "fake" cases being registered against him.