Farmer from Raigad detained outside Uddhav Thackeray's residence; 45-yr-old had insisted on meeting Maharashtra CM for bank-related grievance

Mumbai: A 45-year-old farmer and his minor daughter were detained outside Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s residence in suburban Bandra on Sunday when they came to meet him over some bank-related issue, police said.

The duo was later released and the Shiv Sena asked the officials concerned to find out the purpose of their visit, a party spokesperson said. Farmer Mahendra Deshmukh, who hails from Panvel in neighbouring Raigad district, came along with his 12-year-old daughter to meet the chief minister and Sena president at his residence ‘Matoshree’ in connection with some bank-related issue, a police official said.

“When the security guards did not allow Deshmukh to enter the premises, he said he will sit outside until he gets to meet the chief minister. He was then detained and taken to Kherwadi police station along with his daughter. He was later released after being questioned,” senior police inspector Nikhil Kapse said.

The farmer has an account in a government-owned bank and had some issue pertaining to it which he wanted to discuss with the chief minister, he said. “During questioning, the farmer said he had been coming to ‘Varsha’, the chief minister’s official bungalow in south Mumbai, and ‘Mantralaya’ (secretariat) for the last five days to meet Thackeray but in vain.

He then decided to approach Thackeray at his Bandra residence,” the official said. Meanwhile, a Sena spokesperson said the farmer was released after being detained for some time. “The farmer came to meet Thackeray along with his daughter. We have asked the officials to find out the purpose of his visit to Mumbai,” he added.