Mumbai/Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: A midnight attack on Maharashtra Minister Sanjay Shirsat’s residence has triggered an explosive confrontation between the minister and the police administration, with Shirsat accusing senior officers of abandoning their primary duty of maintaining law and order in favour of chasing lucrative postings and allegedly indulging in extortion.
Three youths allegedly pelted stones and hurled empty glass bottles at Shirsat’s residence in the Golwadi area of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar around midnight on Thursday. The incident prompted the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena minister to launch an unprecedentedly sharp attack on the city’s police leadership, questioning its competence, accountability and commitment to public safety.
Addressing a press conference on Friday, Shirsat accused the Police Commissioner of being more concerned about securing a plum posting in Pimpri-Chinchwad than controlling crime in his present jurisdiction. He alleged that murders were occurring regularly, drugs were being sold openly and illegal gambling dens were flourishing under police patronage.
“An attack has taken place at my house. Murders are happening in the city every day. The Police Commissioner is only interested in extortion, while drugs are being sold openly,” Shirsat charged.
The minister’s criticism went beyond the attack on his residence, exposing what he described as a disturbing collapse of policing and accountability in the city.
Shirsat questioned the extraordinary delay in the arrival of senior police officials following the attack. He alleged that a Deputy Commissioner of Police reached the spot nearly two-and-a-half hours later and only after the Director General of Police intervened.
“The Commissioner is only interested in getting a lucrative posting in Pimpri-Chinchwad,” he alleged, accusing the police establishment of prioritising career advancement over crime control.
The minister further claimed that illegal gambling establishments were operating with police blessings and threatened to expose the alleged network.
“I will hand over the entire list to the Chief Minister,” he declared.
His most damning question captured the anger behind his outburst: “Will the police come only after we are dead?”
Shirsat also claimed that he attempted to contact the Police Commissioner after the incident but could not reach him as his phone was switched off.
Three youths arrested after midnight attack
According to police, three youths arrived outside Shirsat’s residence in Golwadi around midnight on Thursday and allegedly created a disturbance before attacking the house with stones and empty glass bottles.
Security personnel and policemen present at the spot intervened and apprehended all three accused. Two police personnel reportedly suffered minor injuries during the scuffle while taking the youths into custody.
The accused have been identified as Rohit Bhutale, Shivam Gaikwad and Pratik Kute.
Police officials subsequently visited the minister’s residence and conducted an investigation panchnama.
A case has been registered against the trio under provisions relating to criminal trespass, obstructing government work, criminal intimidation and damage to property. Investigators are questioning the accused to establish the motive behind the attack and ascertain whether others were involved.
Attack exposes wider policing crisis
While the immediate investigation centres on the midnight assault, Shirsat’s allegations have placed the functioning of the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar police administration under an uncomfortable spotlight.
The minister’s charges of alleged extortion, police-protected gambling, open drug trafficking and delayed response raise serious questions about enforcement, supervision and accountability.
The controversy has also created an embarrassing situation for the State police establishment, with a serving Cabinet minister openly accusing its senior leadership of failing to discharge its fundamental responsibilities.
The attack on Shirsat’s residence may have triggered the confrontation, but his broader allegations have turned it into a direct challenge to the credibility of the city’s policing system.
