Maharashtra HM says 'hunt is on' to nab culprits who sent threat letter to Mumbai Mayor

Two days after Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar and her family received an alleged death threat in a letter from an anonymous source, Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil, on Saturday, assured that protection has been provided to Pednekar and her family.

"After the death threat letter to Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar, Govt has provided protection to her and her family. A hunt is on to nab those who have sent the letter. Strict action will be taken against them," Patil told reporters.

After receiving a death threat, the Mumbai mayor had stated that she would file a police complaint on the anonymous letter written in Marathi. According to Pednekar's office, a death threat was sent to her family as well. The Mumbai mayor informed that an envelope having no seal, containing a letter with death threats written in foul language, was left in her residence's mailbox.

Notably, the incident comes amid the ongoing row over BJP MLA Ashish Shelar’s alleged objectionable remarks against the Mumbai Mayor.  

Mumbai mayor lodges police complaint against BJP MLA 

Earlier this week, the Mumbai mayor had filed a complaint against Ashish Shelar for his remarks during a press conference.

The complaint was filed at the Marine Drive police station over Shelar's remark on December 4 in connection to the Worli cylinder blast accident that occurred in November. According to Pednekar, Shelar made derogatory remarks about her while stating that the blast site was visited by the mayor after 72 hours of the incident. 

In a letter to Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil, the Shiv Sena leader said, “The mayor of Mumbai is the first citizen and it is a very important post. The term used to describe me as a woman mayor is objectionable." 

After Pednekar filed a complaint, an FIR was registered against Shelar under IPC Sections 354 A (4) (making sexually coloured remark) and 509 (words or gestures insulting woman's modesty).

(With agency inputs)