Surat: Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) President Pravin Togadia escaped unhurt on Wednesday when a truck hit his vehicle from behind in Surat.

Togadia later claimed he could have been killed had his vehicle not been bullet-proof, and alleged that police did not provide him appropriate security even after informing them about his tour.

He also alleged that his Z-plus security was "weakened deliberately" by the Gujarat government.

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Thane (PTI): A 55-year-old builder and social media influencer has been arrested for alleged possession of a cache of weapons in Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Tuesday.

The accused, Surendra Panduranga Patil, who has more than three lakh followers on Instagram, was arrested on Saturday night, just a week after being released on bail in a separate case, an official said.

"Acting on a tip-off, our team searched Patil's bungalow in the Dawdi area of Dombivli late on Saturday night. We recovered a cache of weapons hidden behind a fake panel of a newly installed shoe rack that did not match the house's interior," the official from the Crime Branch said.

Five country-made pistols and revolvers, some engraved with 'Made in USA,' and two air guns, were seized, along with 371 cartridges, 167 air gun pellets, a sword, a button knife, a sharp-edged weapon, and two steel rods, he said, adding that the seized items were worth Rs 10 lakh.

"The quantity of ammunition suggests the stockpile was fully operational. While Patil claims the weapons were mere 'props' for his gangster-themed social media videos, we are investigating if he was preparing a 'mini-army' or supplying arms to local criminals," the official said.

Patil, a history-sheeter, now faces fresh charges under the Arms Act and the Maharashtra Police Act.