Mumbai: Swabhiman Sanghatana's Chintu Shaikh,
who has accused state minister Narayan Rane's son Nitesh of
firing at him, on Friday met the Home Minister alleging that
police are delaying the probe.
"My wife and I met Home Minister R R Patil who assured us
that there would be a breakthrough in the case in a couple of
days," Shaikh, vice-president of transport wing of Swabhiman
Sanghatana, an NGO run by Nitesh, told agency.
"I demanded the arrest of Nitesh who fired at me. I
maintained my stand and repeatedly told police that it was
Nitesh who shot at me. But police in the name of investigation
are delaying the matter and are making every attempt to save
Nitesh and no arrest has been made so far," Shaikh said.
Nitesh and his two aides Nitin Vardhanarayan and Zaheed
Shaikh have been charged with attempt to murder last week
after Shaikh complained to police accusing the politician's
son of firing at him, injuring him on his cheek at the NGO's
Khar office, police said.
According to police, Shaikh admitted himself in a private
hospital in Powai, where the medical report suggested that the
injury on his cheek "in all probability" was not caused by a
bullet, raising doubts over Shaikh's claims.
Subsequently, Shaikh was admitted in J J Hospital which
was ascertaining the cause of the injury on his cheek, police
said.
They recorded the statements of all three accused as well
as those present in the office at the time of alleged firing,
police said.
"Since Nitesh is son of Revenue minister, police are not
taking the matter seriously and are trying to save him," said
Shaikh, who has been discharged from the hospital.
PTI
First Published: Friday, October 01, 2010, 21:16