The Thane (rural) police, investigating the alleged gangrape of a 22-year-old woman, have found that absconding former police constable Shailesh Patil owns seven farmhouses in his and his wife’s names. The farmhouse where the alleged assault took place is also registered in Patil’s name.

The police are now verifying the addresses of 10 more farmhouses that, according to a close aide of Patil, are owned by him and his wife, bringing the total number of properties being examined to 17. Patil and former BJP MLA Narendra Pawar are both absconding in connection with the Thane gangrape case.

An officer investigating the case said, “We were informed by his close aide that there were 17 farmhouses in the couple’s names in the MMR region. We have found evidence linking him to seven. Given his background, it seems unlikely that he purchased the farmhouses on his own, and we suspect somebody may be using his name as a front.”

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The immediate priority is to trace Patil and Pawar in the Thane gangrape case.

Patil’s mother alleges assault

Soon after their names were mentioned in the FIR, Patil’s mother, Sulochana, held a press conference in which she alleged that her son had assaulted her as well and demanded the death penalty for him. She alleged that Patil was trying to protect an IPS officer.

According to police sources, Patil was jailed and suspended after his arrest in 2013 for allegedly accepting a bribe on behalf of others. He was reinstated in 2019. Two days later, he applied for voluntary retirement and quit the force, an officer said.

An FIR was registered against Pawar and Patil on September 17 based on the statement of a 22-year-old woman, who alleged that the two had gang-raped her at Patil’s farmhouse in Padhga.

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Pawar and Patil have been absconding since the allegations surfaced. A few days later, CCTV cameras and the digital video recorder (DVR) at the farmhouse were found missing. The farmhouse is located in a secluded area along National Highway 3 between Bhiwandi and Kalyan.

Pawar has resigned from all party positions after the FIR was registered. In his resignation letter, he denied the allegations and called the FIR a conspiracy to defame him. He said he was resigning as the case could adversely affect the party’s image.