On Wednesday, the Mumbai police arrested a Pune-based journalist, Chandrakant Suryavanshi, citing his alleged connection with an “attack” on NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s house in Mumbai.

Suryavanshi, who reportedly works for a YouTube channel, was later brought to Mumbai. The police claimed other accused had named Suryavanshi during an interrogation.

The alleged “attack” stemmed from a protest by Maharashtra State Regional Transport Corporation workers outside Pawar’s house on April 8. The MSRTC workers have been on strike since October 2021, demanding that MSRTC staff be absorbed as government employees and be eligible for benefits granted to state government employees.

According to Mid-Day, an FIR filed in the matter claimed that on April 8, “around 90 to 100 protesters” purportedly ignored the police’s direction to continue their protest at Azad Maidan and instead headed to Pawar’s residence, Silver Oak. A constable claimed the protesters “broke the barricading and barged into the premises of Silver Oak”.

A total of 115 people have been arrested so far, including advocate Gunaratna Sadavarte, who is currently in police custody. Free Press Journal reported that Sadavarte claims to represent the workers on strike. Sadavarte was allegedly not present at the April 8 protest. However, the police detained him for questioning on April 9.

A senior IPS officer told the Indian Express that Suryavanshi runs a YouTube channel “to promote Sadavarte’s propaganda.”

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut called the protests a “conspiracy”. The Quint had quoted Raut as saying, “Soon it will be revealed who was behind it. Sharad Pawar sahib had no connection with ST workers strike. Someone is trying to disturb the political and social atmosphere in Maharashtra.”