Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: An Army Jawan was arrested in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city on charges of attempting to manipulate Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for a hefty sum.
Maruti Dhakne, 42, found himself entangled in a web of deceit when he allegedly approached Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve, soliciting a staggering Rs 2.5 crore in exchange for rigging the EVMs in favor of a particular candidate.
Danve, the opposition leader in the state legislative council, lodged a complaint with the authorities upon being approached by Dhakne, who claimed to possess the means to manipulate the EVMs using a chip. However, investigations revealed that Dhakne has no knowledge of EVM and he was claiming it to alleviate his financial woes.
He was arrested when he met Danve’s younger brother at a local hotel to finalize the deal, settling on a reduced amount of Rs 1.5 crore. Unaware of Dhakne, law police were already on standby, acting upon intelligence provided by Ambadas Danve.
As Dhakne accepted a token amount of Rs 1 lakh from Danve’s brother, he was apprehended by the police.
Police Commissioner Manoj Lohiya stated that Dhakne was in a severe financial crisis, attributing his actions to a desperate attempt to alleviate his debts.
The accused is now booked under sections 420 (cheating) and 511 (attempt to commit offence) of the IPC.
The accused is from Pathardi in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district, Dhakne is stationed at Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir.
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