The brother of Maharashtra Water Resources Minister Shashikant Shinde was arrested Monday for raping a woman at her home here, police said.

 

 

 According to the complaint by the 33-year-old woman, Rishikant Shinde, a realtor, Sunday evening barged into her residence on the pretext of discussing a property issue and physically assaulted her, said investigating officer Ravindra Pisal of Satara City police station.

 

 "He was arrested this morning (Monday) and presented before a magistrate who sent him to police custody till Feb 21," Pisal told IANS.

 

 Shashikant Shinde of the Nationalist Congress Party was inducted in the cabinet in June 2013. He is a legislator from Koregaon.

 

 Maharashtra Home Minister R.R. Patil has assured that the case would be dealt "without any kind of partiality" by police.

 

 "The case was registered late last night (Sunday) and the accused arrested within two-three hours. This shows that police have been impartial in its investigation, otherwise the accused would not have been arrested," Patil told media persons.

 

 A police official said there has been no interference in the probe by any politician and the case would be dealt with on merits of the charges.