MLAs Shekhawat, Rana accused of assault, brandishing guns

NAGPUR: Former President PratibhaPatil's son RaosahebShekhawat, who is AmravatiMLA, and his Badnera counterpart Ravi Rana were involved in back-to-back incidents of brandishing guns and beating up two persons in separate incidents at Amravati on Tuesday.
Deputy mayor of Amravati and a local NCP leader Nandu Warhade complained to Rajapeth police on Tuesday in Amravati that Rana had assaulted and abused him.He also claimed Shekhawat pointed a gun at him and threatened to shoot him if Warhade did not withdraw a court case on diversion of Rs 12.5 crore development funds.
Rana is an independent MLA from Badnera, Amravati's twin town, and had been instrumental in getting half of the Rs 25 crore released for repair of roads for his constituency. The matter was challenged in court by Warhade, invoking Rana's wrath.
On Tuesday, Rana was overseeing road repairs in Shardanagar area when Warhade passed by on a two-wheeler. The deputy mayor alleged Rana stopped him, abused and pushed him, and later took his security personnel's gun and pointed it at Warhade. Rajapeth PI Sanjay Deshmukh said he had received a complaint and is investigating the matter. However, no case was registered against Rana yet.
The Rana episode happened a day after Mazhar Ali alias Munna Alisha filed a complaint with Kotwali police in Amravati that MLA Shekhawat and his secretary Sanjay Patil and two others beat him up. He also claimed Shekhawat pointed his gun at him, threatening to kill him if he did not stop campaigning for political rivals.
Alisha, a banner supplier, had been engaged in putting up posters of NCP leader and ex-minister Sunil Deshmukh in the city, which reportedly angered Shekhawat. Kotwali police have not registered any case yet in the complaint.