Mahad poll violence: Shiv Sena Minister's son surrenders before police

A day after the Bombay High Court came down heavily on the Maharashtra government for failing take action in the Mahad poll violence Shiv Sena Minister Bharat Gogawales son Vikas Gogawale surrendered before the police in the caseThe state government on Friday told the court that Vikas Gogawale had turned himself in before the Mahad police in connection with the clash that broke out during the municipal council elections in Raigad districtHC questions rule of law govt inactionThe High Court on Thursday ticked off the state government asking whether the rule of law exists in the state and if the Chief Minister is too helpless to take action against a cabinet minister whose son has evaded arrest for weeksAll accused surrendered AG tells courtAdvocate General Milind Sathe on Friday submitted to a single bench of Justice Madhav Jamdar that all the accused in the case including Vikas Gogawale and his cousin Mahesh Gogawale surrendered before the Mahad police in the morningThe court accepted the statementClashes erupted during Mahad civic electionsClashes broke out between supporters of Eknath Shindeled Shiv Sena and the NCP headed by Ajit Pawar during the civic elections at Mahad in Raigad district on December 2 Both Shinde and Pawar are deputy chief ministers in the BJPled governmentThe two sides lodged complaints against each other and crossFIRs were registeredCourt hears prearrest bail plea of another accusedThe court was hearing the prearrest bail plea of Shreeyansh JagtapIn the previous hearing the court noted that the offence was serious and hence it was not inclined to grant anticipatory bail to Shreeyansh JagtapBased on this Shreeyansh Jagtap on Friday withdrew his application which the court allowedJustice Jamdar remarks on political sensitivitiesJustice Jamdar after the hearing quipped that the issue involved the two deputy chief ministers of MaharashtraNow the police will have to arrest him Shreeyansh Jagtap also Only difference is that he is the son of a former minister Justice Jamdar saidPrearrest relief denied to Gogawale cousinsVikas Gogawale and his cousin Mahesh had also sought prearrest bail pleas but they were not granted any reliefShreeyansh Jagtap was granted interim protection from arrest in DecemberCourt flags delay in arrest of ministerrsquos sonBoth Vikas and Mahesh Gogawale had filed applications opposing Jagtaps prearrest bail pleaOn Thursday Justice Jamdar was forthright in his remarks about the failure of lawenforcing authorities to arrest the ministers son who had been missing since the sessions court rejected his anticipatory bail pleaWith inputs from PTI