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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New Delhi (PTI): A 32-year-old barber was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly beating a man to death following an altercation over a 'bidi' in east Delhi's Pandav Nagar area, police said.

A call regarding the incident that occurred near the bus stand road in Shashi Garden was received at 1.24 am, they said.

The victim was identified as Deepak (28), while the accused was Manoj, he added.

According to the police, during an argument, the accused picked up a wooden stick lying nearby and struck the victim repeatedly on the head. Multiple injuries and bruise marks were also found on the victim's forehead.

"Deepak was taken to Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital, but doctors declared him brought dead," an officer said.

An FIR has been registered and further investigation is underway, the officer added.