Patole claimed to be in possession of a pen drive containing all the "proof" related to the allegations. He criticised the government for not making any formal statement on the matter, despite the issue being in the public domain for some time
Congress MLA Nana Patole speaks in the Assembly on Thursday. PIC/X
Congress legislator Nana Patole on Thursday urged the Maharashtra government to make an official statement in the Legislative Assembly regarding reports of an alleged "honeytrap" racket targeting government officials in Thane, Nashik, and Mantralaya (the state secretariat in Mumbai).
VIDEO | "Over 72 Maharashtra ministers and senior officials are involved in a honey trap, and confidential documents have been leaked," alleges Maharashtra Congress leader Nana Patole (@NANA_PATOLE).
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 17, 2025
(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/jAhxLOSUwH
He raised the issue during the Monsoon Session 2025 of the Maharashtra Assembly.
Patole claimed to be in possession of a pen drive containing all the "proof" related to the allegations, reported PTI. He criticised the government for not making any formal statement on the matter, despite the issue being in the public domain for some time.
"Thane, Nashik, and Mantralaya have become hubs of a honeytrap racket, but the government has failed to acknowledge it," Patole alleged.
Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar directed the government to make a statement on the issue before the conclusion of the Monsoon Session on Friday.
Responding to Patole, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said the government had taken serious note of the allegations. "Strict action will be taken against the culprits following an investigation," he assured the House.
Earlier this week, Minister of State for Home (Urban) Yogesh Kadam had acknowledged that a case involving a government official allegedly being "honey-trapped" was recently registered in Thane. However, he said the case had later been withdrawn following a mutual agreement.
Kadam was responding to concerns raised after a news channel reported that several government officials and some political leaders were allegedly involved in honeytrap incidents. He added that the police were investigating an email believed to contain further information related to these cases.
Maharashtra recorded 3,506 rape cases, 924 murders in first five months of 2025, alleged Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Ambadas Danve
Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Ambadas Danve on Thursday attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Mahayuti government over the law-and-order situation in the state, citing alarming crime figures for the first five months of the year.
Speaking during an opposition-sponsored motion in the upper house, the
Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council said Maharashtra recorded 3,506 cases of rape and 924 cases of murder between January 1 and May 31.
"In the last five months alone, the state has registered 924 murders — that’s six every day — and 3,506 rape cases, averaging 23 per day," Danve said, expressing grave concern.
He further claimed that the total number of criminal cases registered in the state during this period stood at 1.6 lakh. The crime tally also included 30,000 thefts and 156 dacoity cases, he added.
Specifically pointing to Nagpur — the home district of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis — to make his point across, Danve said that in just five months, 10,423 criminal cases had been registered there, of which 6,000 were reported in the city alone.
The opposition leader also raised alarm over the growing prevalence of drug abuse in the state. "Drug addiction has become rampant, extending beyond cities into villages and even remote hamlets," he said.
(With PTI inputs)
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