Nashik district is in shock as additional collector from Malegaon was set ablaze by oil adulteration mafia; a murder charge slapped on four.
Yashwant Sonawane, an additional collector from Malegaon, died after being set ablaze by petroleum fuel adulterators at Panewadi, 10 kms from Manmad in Nashik district, on Tuesday afternoon. The incident took place after the official challenged some local goons after finding them moving suspiciously around oil tankers.
The Manmad police have arrested four persons, said additional director general of police, law and order, KP Raghuvanshi. They have been identified as Popat Shinde, his son Kunal, brother-in-law Sitaram Bhalerao and one Raju Sirsat.
“Sonawane, 48, was travelling towards Nandgaon when he saw some tankers and got down from his vehicle suspecting something fishy. He was beaten up by the goons there. They set him on fire after pouring petrol or diesel on him. He died on the spot,” additional collector Unmesh Mahajan told DNA. Mahajan is coordinating with the officials dealing with the incident from Nashik.
The incident took place at 2pm near a dhaba at Panewadi. The dhaba is owned by Popat Shinde.
Sources said Sonawane was coming from Chandwad where some farmers had staged a rasta roko to protest against the falling prices of onions. From there, he was on his way to Nandgaon for a tehsildars’ meeting. His personal assistant Raju Kale and driver Kailas Gawali were with him.
The criminals, sources said, set the vehicle on fire before dragging Sonawane to a field and setting him ablaze. The horror-stricken assistant and driver, who were also assaulted, managed to escape. Kale called the district collector and informed him of the incident.
Shinde, hurt with burns, escaped to Malegaon after the incident. He was refused admission to a private hospital and was then admitted to a government hospital in Malegaon, where he was arrested, the Manmad police said.
“Shinde sustained 65% burns,’’ said Raghuvanshi. He has criminal records and was externed from the jurisdiction of Manmad police in 2006. The Manmad police have registered a case of murder and riot against the accused and are investigating whether more people were involved, he said.
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