Police in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city, Maharashtra, have apprehended an Army jawan for allegedly soliciting Rs 2.5 crore from Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve to tamper with EVMs, an official disclosed.
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Danve, the opposition leader in the state legislative council, lodged a written complaint with the police after Maruti Dhakne (42), the accused, purportedly demanded the sum to manipulate electronic voting machines using a chip, claiming it favored a specific candidate.
The accused, seeking to alleviate his financial burdens, falsely asserted knowledge about EVMs, police affirmed.
Set-up
On Tuesday afternoon, Dhakne met Rajendra Danve, the Sena (UBT) leader’s younger brother, at a hotel near the central bus stand. Following negotiations, the agreement was settled at Rs 1.5 crore, the official mentioned.
Acting on information provided by Ambadas Danve, a police team in plainclothes was dispatched to the location. While Dhakne accepted Rs 1 lakh as a token amount from Rajendra Danve, law enforcement apprehended him red-handed, the official added.
“The accused is burdened by significant debt. He resorted to this scheme to alleviate his financial woes. He possesses no knowledge of EVMs. We have arrested him, and a case has been registered at the Kranti Chowk police station,” Police Commissioner Manoj Lohiya informed reporters.
The accused, hailing from Pathardi in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district, and stationed at Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir, faces charges under IPC sections 420 (cheating) and 511 (attempt to commit an offence), as per another official.
