Two newly elected Gram Panchayat members abducted; 25 accused named

Pune: Two newly elected Gram Panchayat members from Nighoj village in Parner taluka were abducted on gunpoint on Sunday (February 7), the police said. The incident took place at Khed Ghat in Rajgurunagar around 3 pm on Sunday. A case has been registered at Khed police station.

The abducted Gram Panchayat members have been identified as Digambar Bhagaji Lalge and Ganesh Dattu Kawad. Vitthal Bhausaheb Kawad (resident of Nighoj, Tal. Parner, Dist. Ahmednagar) has lodged a complaint at Khed Police Station. The newly elected Gram Panchayat member from Nighoj village in Parner taluka had gone for a political trip, the police said. According to the police, they stopped for dinner at Hotel Suryavanshi near Pune-Nashik highway at Malegaon on Khed Ghat around 3 pm on Sunday. Later they were kidnapped from there.

According to the information received, the newly elected Gram Panchayat members from Nighoj village had gone for a political trip. After stopping for dinner, members and some villagers were going to Otur to a temple. At that time Sachin Machhindra Varal, Mangesh Sakharam Varal, Sunil Machhindra Varal, Nilesh Raju Ghode, Ajay Sanjay Varal, Rahul Bhausaheb Varal, Swapnil Bhausaheb Dungule, Subash Ananda Varal, Akash Vijay Varal, Dhondibhau Jadhav (all residents of Nighoj, Tal. Parner), including 15-20 people beat the plaintiff Vitthal Kawad with sticks for the post of Gram Panchayat head.

Digambar Lalge and Ganesh Kawad, two newly elected Gram Panchayat members, were forced into a Scorpio vehicle by the accused, abusing and threatening Kawad with a sword and an iron rod. He also snatched the plaintiff’s mobile phone, smashed it and took away the two members. A case has been registered against 25 villagers of Nighoj village at Khed police station. Further investigations are underway.