An official said Thursday that police in Maharashtra's Dhule district confiscated 89 swords and a dagger from an SUV and arrested four people in connection with the incident. He said a police unit intercepted the truck after chasing it at Songir Phata in the Shirpur district on Wednesday while it was travelling towards Dhule city, which is almost 300 kilometres from Mumbai.
Police discovered 89 swords and a dagger inside the SUV in which four people were travelling during a search, according to Dhule Superintendent of Police Pravinkumar Patil. Mohammed Sharif Mohammed Shafique (35), Shaikh Iliyas Shaikh Latif (32), Saiyad Naim Saiyad Rahim (29) and Kapil Dabhade (35), all Jalna district residents, were arrested, he added.
An FIR was filed against the accused at Songir police station under relevant provisions of the Arms Act and the Motor Vehicles Act, and the case is being investigated. As per reports, the vehicle came from Chittorgarh, Rajasthan.
Why swords from a Congress-ruled state were brought to Mumbai: BJP
Now a political war of words has broken out between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the ruling coalition. Ram Kadam, a BJP politician, questioned why swords from a Congress-ruled state were transported to Mumbai and whether they were meant to be used to harm someone or cause a ruckus in the state.
After so many swords were discovered in Maharashtra, BJP leader Ashish Shelar wondered if the Maharashtra government, which had filed an FIR against MNS president Raj Thackeray for showing a sword at a rally, would file an FIR against the home minister. Atul Londhe, the Congress leader, said the police were examining the situation and that it will soon be obvious why the swords were found in the state.
