Maharashtra Cong leader Londhe booked for remark linking Koratkar arrest with CMO staffer

Nagpur, Mar 29 (PTI) Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe was booked by Nagpur police for defamation for allegedly claiming that former journalist Prashant Koratkar was arrested in the presence of a man working in the office of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Koratkar, who was booked for allegedly threatening Kolhapur-based historian Indrajeet Sawant and making derogatory remarks against Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and his son Sambhaji Maharaj, was arrested by Maharashtra police from Telangana earlier this week.
According to BJP functionaries here, Londhe had said Koratkar was arrested in the presence of Pratik Padvekar, who he claimed was an employee in the office of CM Fadnavis.
In a public statement, the Nagpur BJP said Londhe allegedly made the statement during a news broadcast.
Londhe was booked under section 356 (2) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita on Friday on the complaint of BJP MLA Krishna Khopde and others at Ganeshpeth police station, an official said.
Section 356 (2) of BNS deals with making an imputation knowing that it can defame and cause harm to the person in question.
Further probe into the case is underway, the Ganeshpeth police station official said.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)