AIMIM candidate booked for allegedly obstructing campaigning by Cong candidate’s kin

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: An AIMIM candidate was booked on Thursday for allegedly threatening and obstructing Congress supporters during campaigning in the city. The move comes after two Congress candidates, along with 58 others, were booked for allegedly attacking AIMIM state president and former MP Syed Imtiaz Jaleel's SUV on Wednesday.The latest FIR was lodged on the complaint of the wife of an absconding Congress candidate named in the FIR involving attack on Jaleel's SUV. Based on her statement, the City Chowk police on Thursday booked the AIMIM candidate, his relatives and eight others under sections 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 174, 352 (assault or use of criminal force), 189(2) and 190 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).The complainant alleged that around 7pm on Thursday, the AIMIM candidate and his supporters threatened and prevented her, along with Congress workers, from campaigning in the ward. She accused the AIMIM candidate of threatening them with "serious consequences" if they continued canvassing.The fresh case comes amid heightened political tension following a violent clash at Jinsi Chowk on Wednesday during civic poll campaigning. Assistant police inspector and investigation officer Aruna Ghule said all 11 accused arrested in the Jinsi Chowk case were produced before a court on Friday and remanded to judicial custody. Police teams are continuing efforts to trace the absconding accused named in the earlier FIR.Senior police officers reiterated that strict action would be taken against anyone attempting to disrupt law and order during the election process. "No one will be allowed to intimidate rivals or obstruct lawful campaigning. Both cases are being investigated independently on their merits," an officer said.Commissioner of police Pravin Pawar said security had been tightened in sensitive areas of the old city as campaigning intensified ahead of the civic polls.