Pune: Ravindra Dhangekar Calls for Probe Into Chandrakant Patil’s Office Over Ghaywal Passport Issue

Pune, 4th October 2025: Shiv Sena leader and former MLA Ravindra Dhangekar on Saturday levelled serious allegations against Maharashtra Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil, saying police should probe phone records linked to the minister’s office to determine whether fugitive gangster Nilesh Ghaywal received help in getting a passport before fleeing abroad.

Dhangekar said call detail records (CDRs) of a person named “Patil” in the minister’s office must be checked to establish how often Ghaywal and that number were in contact and whether messages were exchanged. “If the police decide to act today, Ghaywal can be brought to book. But those who have control over the police are blocking action — they must be investigated,” Dhangekar told reporters, according to video and social media posts circulating on Saturday.

The allegations come amid a widening probe into how Ghaywal — accused in multiple violent cases in Pune — obtained a passport and reportedly travelled to London. Pune police say initial checks show the passport was issued using an Ahilyanagar address and that a look-out circular has been issued in connection with attempted murder cases registered with Kothrud police. Authorities have seized vehicles linked to Ghaywal and arrested several associates while searches continue for remaining suspects.

Police spokeswoman and local officials have said they are investigating irregularities in the passport issuance process. Reports indicate that the Ahilyanagar police had initially marked Ghaywal’s passport application with a “not available” remark — a negative address-verification response — raising questions about how the document was issued. Officials say a detailed review of the passport application and supporting verification is underway.

The controversy deepened after an unrelated road-accident case involving dancer Gautami Patil — whose vehicle struck a rickshaw near Vadgaon Bridge on September 30, seriously injuring the rickshaw puller — prompted public anger and visible political activity. Local reports said a police inspector met the injured man at Sinhagad police station as the matter attracted media and political attention; Minister Patil has directed police to take strict action in the accident probe. Some politicians, including Dhangekar, linked the minister’s heightened involvement in the accident case and his public silence on the Ghaywal affair, and demanded answers.

Chandrakant Patil has not made a detailed public statement responding to Dhangekar’s accusations about the passport or alleged contacts. Ministry and police sources have said investigations will follow due process; officials emphasised that inquiries into both the passport issuance and any possible lapses in local verification are continuing. If irregularities are found, authorities indicated they would take appropriate administrative and legal action, including cancellation of any improperly issued travel documents.

Pune police say they will examine passport application records, verification reports, CCTV footage and call data where legally permissible, and coordinate with passport authorities and the Home Department as the probe unfolds. Political leaders from multiple parties have called for an impartial inquiry to establish facts and assign responsibility if wrongdoing is revealed.