Ex-Sena corporator booked for ‘illegally distributing’ sewing machines owned by BMC

The Dahisar police have filed a case against a former corporator, Balkrishna Brid of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), on charges of unlawfully distributing 47 sewing machines owned by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), even though he no longer holds the authority to do so. The complaint was lodged by the civic body. Brid, who served as a corporator from ward number 3, had his term, along with that of 227 corporators elected in 2017, conclude on March 7 of this year. Currently, with corporators not in office, the BMC is under the administration of BMC administrators.

The First Information Report (FIR) was filed on October 20 under sections 406 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for criminal breach of trust and cheating. The case arose following a written complaint by BMC’s assistant engineer, Sushil Ingole, from R North ward. The civic body had intended to distribute 204 sewing machines for the year 2021-2022, and the process was finalized in March. On September 15, it came to BMC’s attention that Brid distributed a few machines through the civic body’s social welfare center in Ketkipada, Dahisar (east). An inspection on September 16 revealed that 47 machines were distributed by Brid, leaving 57 with the BMC.

In its complaint, the BMC alleges that Brid distributed the machines despite being aware that he lacked the authority to do so. Brid countered the accusations, stating, “The (CM Eknath) Shinde faction (of the Shiv Sena) is taking revenge against me.” He explained that the machines were purchased using funds allocated to his ward by the BMC, and the distribution aimed to assist those in need. Brid claimed that the BMC selected the beneficiaries and that he had no role in their allocation. He added, “The machines were distributed at the BMC center in the presence of a BMC employee. I was invited as I am the former corporator of this ward. It did not go down well with the Shinde faction that we, the real Shiv Sena, got some public mileage out of it. Hence, they pushed the BMC and police to register an FIR against me.”