Death threats to Raut brothers: Mumbai Police make fifth arrest

Mumbai, June 15 (IANS) Continuing its probe into the death threats to Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut and his MLA brother Sunil Raut, the Mumbai Police made a fifth arrest of a political activist here on Thursday.

He has been identified as Mayur Shinde -- reportedly close to the Raut brothers -- and has been remanded to police custody till Monday.

Shinde has posted photos and videos with Sunil Raut also, though the motives behind the death threat calls are not clear yet.

After lodging the FIR at Kanjurmarg Police Station, the police nabbed four persons last week, followed by Shinde's arrest on Thursday, five days after the Raut brothers got the telephonic death threats.

Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Nitesh N. Rane took to social media to highlight Shinde's arrest and alleged that it was trumped up to spoil the reputation of Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

"This is Mayur Shinde who has apparently been arrested by Mumbai Police for giving death threats to Shree 420 and his brother Mini 420! The call recording that was played in the media was between Sunil Raut and his own Mayur Shinde! Golmaal Gang!" said Rane, son of Union MSME Minister Narayan Rane.

After the telephonic call threatening to spray the siblings with bullets after a month, Sanjay Raut had urged the state government to take the threats seriously and order a probe.

The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies Shiv Sena(UBT), Congress and Nationalist Congress Party had slammed the state government for failing to take cognisance of such threats, though Fadnavis had said the police are investigating the matter and the guilty would not be spared.