Pune: Income Tax Department raids Maharashtra Kesari wrestler Abhijit Katke’s residence; my family will not succumb to pressure, says Amol Balwadkar
Pune: A squad of the Income Tax (I-T) Department has raided Hind Kesari-Maharashtra Kesari wrestler Abhijit Katke’s residence in the city. The squad seized important documents from Katke’s house.
Abhijit Katke is the brother-in-law of former BJP corporator Amol Balwadkar. The timing of the raid in the backdrop of the State elections has surprised people.
Reacting to the raid, Amol Balwadkar said, “The Income Tax Department raided my brother-in-law Hind Kesari- Maharashtra Kesari Abhijit Katke’s house. We are worried that the residence of a person, who won laurels for Maharashtra and the country, was raided. It raises doubts in my mind if there could be political reasons behind the raid. He is not involved in any illegal businesses. However, just because he is my brother-in-law that he has been targeted. But my family will not succumb to any pressure.”
The residence belongs to Abhijit Katke’s father Chandrakant Katke and is located in Wagholi. I-T officials landed at his residence on Tuesday morning. The squad checked various documents and inquired with Chandrakant Katke, who is the father-in-law of Amol Balwadkar.
Balwadkar has announced that he would contest the Assembly election from the Kothrud constituency by rebelling against the BJP candidate. It is said that the raid could be a political move to pressure him.
Amol Balwadkar has announced that he would contest the election this time. State Minister Chandrakant Patil is the party candidate from the Kothrud segment. BJP State President Chandrashekhar Bawankule and other senior BJP leaders tried to persuade Balwadkar. His father-in-law stays in Wagholi, where the I-T officials conducted the raid.
Abhijit Katke, who learnt wrestling at the Shivramdada Talim, has won the Maharashtra Kesari title once while he was the runner-up twice. In 2015, he became Yuva Maharashtra Kesari in the contest. He won a bronze medal in the Junior National Wrestling Competition in 2016. He lifted the Hind Kesari trophy in 2023.
