Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar said an officer and two policemen were sent to the office after information was received about an alleged possible suspicious activity
The cops visit coincided with the last day of campaigning for the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporation elections. File Pic/X
Crime Branch officials on Tuesday visited the Pune office of DesignBoxed Innovations, a political campaign management firm working for the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), following information about alleged suspicious activity. Police later said that nothing objectionable was found, reported the PTI.
The visit coincided with the last day of campaigning for the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporation elections.
Both Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar confirmed that officers had visited the firm’s office in the Vakdewadi-Shivajinagar area.
Ajit Pawar confirms visit
In a post on X, Ajit Pawar said that Crime Branch personnel had visited the Pune office of Naresh Arora and his organisation, DesignBoxed, to seek information.
“All required information was provided, and full cooperation was extended to the officials. No objectionable matter or irregularity was found during the process,” Ajit Pawar said.
He added that the NCP stands firmly with Naresh Arora and DesignBoxed, and reiterated that the party respects the rule of law and believes in cooperating with statutory and legal procedures.
Pawar also appealed against the spread of rumours or unnecessary narratives, stating that conclusions should be drawn strictly on the basis of facts.
Verification was routine: Police
Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar said an officer and two policemen were sent to the office after information was received about an alleged possible suspicious activity.
“A team was immediately sent to verify the information. During the verification, nothing objectionable was found either at the premises or among the people working there. The team then left,” Kumar said, according to the PTI.
Staff fully cooperated, says firm
DesignBoxed Managing Director Naresh Arora said Crime Branch officials visited the office in the evening when he and other senior staff members were attending an NCP press conference, as per the PTI.
He said the officials questioned staff about the nature of work carried out at the office and about the firm’s work for the NCP. They also sought certain documents and phone numbers.
“Our staff provided whatever information they could. Since senior staff were not present, they explained that some details could not be shared immediately,” Arora said, the news agency reported.
Arora added that the officials identified themselves as Crime Branch personnel and later left their contact number with the staff.
“We are extending full cooperation. We came to know that the visit was based on some information received by the police,” he said, reported the PTI.
Political context
DesignBoxed Innovations is a digital political campaign management firm and was handling the NCP’s campaign for the civic polls.
The NCP, an ally of the BJP in the ruling Mahayuti alliance at the state level, is contesting against the BJP in the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporation elections.
(with PTI inputs)
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