India, Jan. 23 -- MUMBAI: After a sharp rebuke from the Bombay High Court, the state government on Thursday said that Vikas Gogawale, son of Shiv Sena MLA and Maharashtra cabinet minister Bharat Gogawale, will surrender to the police by Friday, in connection with a clash between supporters of the Sena and NCP during the Mahad municipal council elections in Raigad. The clash took place on December 2, 2025, when prohibitory orders were in place as polling was underway for elections to the Mahad Municipal Council. Still, a clash broke out, after which FIRs were registered against both political groups. While one FIR names Vikas Gogawale, his cousin Mahesh Gogawale and their supporters, another FIR names Shreeyansh Jagtap, son of former MLA Manik Jagtap and NCP leader, and members of his group. Vikas and Mahesh moved the high court for anticipatory bail. However, since the offence related to "influencing the election process", the court rejected his application on December 23. Both of them are absconding, while Jagtap was granted interim protection by the high court on December 29. While hearing Jagtap's anticipatory bail application on January 16, advocate Saurabh Ghag, told the court that Vikas and Mahesh were very influential, are absconding and have not been arrested yet although their anticipatory bail pleas had been rejected. The court said, "How can he (Gogawale) continue to hold the post of a cabinet minister when his son is absconding." The court was also informed that Bharat had reportedly given an interview to a Marathi news channel, in which he had stated that his son, Vikas, was not absconding and was in touch with him. The court ordered advocate-general Milind Sathe to take instructions from the minister, and if necessary, from the chief minister too, or else it would pass an appropriate order. Sathe sought time so that the "minister could connect with his son and ask him to surrender". The court said, "I will keep the matter on Friday morning and he will have to surrender before the court hearing."...