Mumbai, Feb 24 (IANS): Shiv Sena's Thane MP Shrikant Shinde - the son of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde - on Thursday labelled Shiv Sena-UBT MP Sanjay Raut as "mentally ill" and in need of urgent medical treatment.

Shinde hit back at Raut who had targeted him with sensational allegations of giving out a contract to kill him (Raut) two days ago.

"My full sympathies are with him (Raut)a I am very much concerned for him. He has mental health issues like schizophrenia," Shinde alleged.

He said that Raut is necessary for Maharashtra's daily morning entertainment - referring to the Sena-UBT leader's customary media briefings every day, wherever he may be in the country, to attack the state government and its prominent leaders.

However, against the backdrop of Raut's contentions, CM Shinde wondered if the Sena-UBT MP had made the death threats claims merely to gain sympathy, but assured that the government would still probe the issues and take appropriate steps.

A day earlier, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis had also promised an investigation and police security was beefed up for Raut, amid similar apprehension of threats raised by Congress' ex-CM Ashok Chavan.

Enraged by Raut's allegations, Shiv Sena activists have filed several police complaints and defamation cases against him in different parts of the state over the past two days, while a team of the Thane police went to record his statement when he was travelling in Nashik on Wednesday.

Raut retorted by saying that he was not worried about the cases being lodged against him and he would continue to fight against the government.