Ex-GP member’s ‘mutton party’ using stolen goats lands him in jail
09 Feb 2021 07:15:32
By Dheeraj Fartode :
POLITICIANS have a long history of using food to lure people to vote for them. And in the rural belt of the region, ‘mutton parties’ serve as the most potent tool to please their voters and supporters. A similar ‘mutton party’ was held in Umred tehsil of the district during the recently-held Gram Panchayat elections. But little did the people know that the meat they were feasting upon was of stolen goats which the host had purchased at half the market price.
He is now cooling heels behind bars for indulging in deals with goat thieves. This information came to fore after a gang of goat thieves was busted by Local Crime Branch of rural police last week. Accused Bodhisatva Sukharam Shende (41), a resident of Parsodi village of Umred tehsil, was arrested by police for purchasing stolen goats from the gang. He was a member of Gram Panchayat in last regime and fought elections this year too. Police had arrested Vinod Akre (32) and Jitendra Ramdas Manwatkar (40), both residents of Jakhegaon village of Kamptee tehsil, for goat thefts.
They were found involved in more than 11 goats thefts in the district. Police found out that the accused were using a car for the theft. After spotting a herd of goats, they used to hatch a plan and steal only two goats so that owner did not bother much about the theft. The politician, Shende, used to purchase the stolen goats at a price much lower as compared to the market price. Police said, during the Gram Panchayat elections he used those stolen goats to throw a ‘mutton party’ to woo voters. Around 70 villagers were invited for the feast and they hogged on to the meat unaware of the fact that the mutton was of stolen goats. Shende was soon arrested and sent behind the bars. For the record, the ‘mutton party’ did not work for Shende as he lost the election.