Activist Trupti Desai detained ahead of PM's Shirdi visit
Pune, Oct 19: Women's rights activist Trupti Desai, who had threatened to block Prime Minister Narendra Modi's convoy at Shirdi town in Maharashtra, was detained by police here Friday morning, an official said.
Desai, president of Bhumata Ranragini Brigade, has been batting for women's entry into the Sabarimala temple in Kerala.
Modi is on a visit to Shirdi on Friday, where he is set to take part in functions to mark the conclusion of the year-long Saibaba Samadhi centenary programme organised by the Sai temple trust. He will also hand over keys of houses to some beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).
A few days back, Desai had sought a meeting with the PM in Shirdi to discuss the Sabarimala issue and warned that if she was not allowed to meet him, her outfit would block his convoy.
"Today, before she could leave Pune for Shirdi (in neighbouring Ahmednagar district), officials from Sahakarnagar police station took her into preventive custody," a senior police official said.
"She was taken into police custody early in the morning as she had threatened to disrupt PM's visit in Shirdi," the official said adding that she has been currently kept under detention at Sahakar Nagar police station.
Meanwhile, talking to PTI over phone, Desai said she had written a letter to Superintendent of Police, Ahmednagar and sought a meeting with the PM on the issue of women's entry into Sabarimala temple.
"In the letter, we had warned that if the meeting with PM is not facilitated, we would block the PM's convoy and urge him to hold talks," said Desai.
She said the kind of "alertness" the police showed today in taking action against her, was not shown in acting against those protesting the entry of women into the Kerala temple.
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Bengaluru: Four arrested for housebreaking, threats, extortion; fake PSI among accused
Bengaluru: Vidyaranyapura police have arrested four persons, including a man posing as a Police Sub-Inspector (PSI), for allegedly breaking into a house, threatening the occupants, and extorting money while wearing police uniforms.
The arrested accused have been identified as Mallikarjuna, Pramod, Vinay, and Hrithik.
Police said the accused had hatched a plan to pose as police personnel, conduct fake raids, and extort money from residents by intimidation.
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According to the police, Mallikarjuna had failed the PSI examination twice and later falsely projected himself as a PSI. He allegedly conducted photo shoots in his hometown, Siraguppa, wearing a police uniform, baton, cap, and shoes, claiming to be serving as a PSI in Bengaluru.
On December 7, the four accused allegedly went to the house of Naveen in the Vidyaranyapura limits, threatened him with a stick and an iron rod, and claimed they had information that he was selling ganja. Under the pretext of searching, they allegedly extorted ₹87,000 through bank transfer, ₹53,000 in cash kept in the house, and ₹2,000 from his wallet.
Following Naveen’s complaint, Vidyaranyapura police registered a case and launched an operation, leading to the arrest of all four accused. Police have seized ₹45,000 in cash and the car used to commit the crime.
Further investigation is underway.
