Nagpur drunk-and-drive case: SS-UBT's Raut says 'beef' bill found in car of BJP leader's son

Mumbai, Sep 11 (IANS) In a startling allegation, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday claimed that a food bill with "beef cutlet"’ was found in the car of state Bharatiya Janata Party President Chandrashekhar Bawankule’s son, Sanket, who was involved in an alleged drunk-and-drive accident on Sunday-Monday night.

Simultaneously, SS-UBT Deputy Leader Sushma Andhare visited the Sitabuldi Police Station in Nagpur seeking details of the Audi car accident, that has sparked a huge political row with the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), and accused the ruling MahaYuti of attempting a cover-up operation.

Referring to certain viral media posts, Raut contended that Sanket Bawankule and his friends had gone to the 'La Horee Deluxe Bar & Restaurant' that night for a party.

"They had ordered liquor, chicken, mutton dishes and also ‘beef cutlets’. These are the people who teach us Hindutva. But they go and eat beef, then they indulge in mob lynchings or mow down people outside… They prevent others from eating non-vegetarian food in the name of Ganeshotsav and other festivals," he alleged.

"If he has the courage, then bring out this food-and-beverages bill before the public. Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis is the worst Home Minister the state has ever seen," he demanded.

However, Nagpur Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone II, Rahul Madane denied the allegations and said there’s no mention of any ‘beef’ stuff in the bill.

At the Sitabuldi Police Station, Andhare asked the police station head why the car registration number was not mentioned in the FIR, to which the police said the complainant did not know it, but it was added later.

She also demanded to know why the car was shunted to the garage for repairs while the probe was still pending, why the medical examination of all the persons present in the car was not carried out and why only two occupants including the driver have been arrested so far, plus other details.

Along with her colleague Raut, Andhare has reiterated that the police were attempting to put the lid on the accident due to political pressures, and MVA allies Congress and Nationalist Congress Party-SP also slammed MahaYuti over the accident.

The developments came a day after the Nagpur police stated that though Sanket Bawankule was present in the car, he was not at the wheel, and booked driver Arjun Haware in the case.

This is the second huge embarrassment for the state BJP chief and his family in barely 10 months.

Last November (2023), the SS-UBT and its MVA allies had launched a vitriolic campaign accusing Chandrashekhar Bawankule of allegedly blowing up Rs 3.5 crore in gambling at a casino in China's Macau.

At that time, however, Bawankule vehemently denied the allegations saying he does not indulge in gambling and had gone there for a family vacation, and the purported photos were misleading.