Pune, Dec. 12 -- A Special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court has cleared the way for alleged gangster Bandu alias Suryakant Ranuji Andekar and two of his family members to contest the upcoming local body elections, including Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). The court ruled that the right to contest elections is a constitutional guarantee and cannot be denied solely because an individual is in judicial custody. According to the order issued on Wednesday, Bandu, his daughter-in-law Sonali Vanraj Andekar, and sister-in-law Laxmi Udaykant Andekar are permitted to file nomination papers. The court noted that they may do so with police escort as required. Sonali is the wife of former corporator Vanraj Andekar, who was shot dead in 2016, while Laxmi is also a former corporator. Bandu, Sonali and Laxmi are currently in custody in connection with the murder of Ayush Komkar and several related cases registered against them. The trio approached the court through their lawyers, including Prashant Pawar and Mithun Chavan, seeking permission to submit nomination forms and be present for mandatory procedures. Pawar said, "Even though contesting elections is a constitutional right, we submitted a formal application before the court, and our clients are allowed to contest the local body elections." After hearing the plea, special judge SR Salunkhe observed that no special permission is required to contest an election, as it is a right available to all citizens. If the accused need to be escorted by police for filing nominations or completing procedures, they may file individual applications. The court added that there is no legal bar on the trio participating in the electoral process. Jail authorities have been directed to facilitate their access to nomination and verification procedures as per rules. Meanwhile, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has stated that the party will not give a ticket to Bandu. Subhash Jagtap, Pune city NCP unit head, said, "Considering his involvement in various crimes, we won't give him a ticket for the upcoming PMC elections. Yes, Laxmi and Vanraj Andekar were elected as corporators on our party's ticket. As of now, no one from Bandu, Laxmi, or Sonali has either demanded or taken a candidature form from our party. But if they take a form from our party, then by considering their actual role in the crime, a decision will be taken by the authorities." Jagtap said the police chargesheet mentions Bandu and others hatched the Komkar murder plan at his residence in Nana Peth. "But Bandu was externed from the city limits during that period. This raises questions on policing. How was he in Pune city when he was externed from the city limits?" he questioned....