India, Jan. 14 -- Pune crime branch officials visited the Pune office of DesignBoxed Innovations Pvt Ltd, a public relations and election management firm co-founded by Naresh Arora and associated with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), on Tuesday, two days ahead of municipal elections across 29 civic bodies in Maharashtra, including Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad.

Deputy chief minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar said the firm provided details sought by the crime branch officials and "extended full cooperation" while no objectionable matter or irregularity was found in the process.

"The Nationalist Congress Party wishes to make it clear that in this entire matter, the party stands firmly behind Naresh Arora and his organisation DesignBoxed,"...