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Congressman’s murder: 19 held

Following Friday’s brutal attack on Congress leader Gyaneshwar Sathawane, the director general of police PS Pasricha told DNA that the Nagpur police have arrested 19 people.

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MUMBAI: Following Friday’s brutal attack on Congress leader Gyaneshwar Sathawane, the director general of police PS Pasricha told DNA that the Nagpur police have arrested 19 people, including a felon Mudliyar Pillai, who is also wanted in other cases.

“We have arrested 19 people including the dreaded goonda Pillai. He has been booked under IPC section 151,” said Pasricha. He said that an inquiry has been set up to investigate the inaction on the part of the police.

Pasricha added that Sathawane had been warned about an attack, as the Sena believed he was responsible for the murder of their leader Ghopal Lobhare in August 2007. “The police had cautioned him that rivals were watching him closely. The Nagpur police also believe he would not have been attacked had he not gone on stage,” he said.

Public works minister Anil Deshmukh who attended the rally said that the police were outnumbered by the mob, which had come to the rally with the intention of attacking Sathawane.

“After I left, the Congress and Nationalist Congress workers told me that Sathawane was surrounded by 300 Sena activists who had come with iron rods, weapons and lathis. Sathawane was first rescued by the police and our activists,” Deshmukh told DNA.

He was kept in a police van to protect him from the Sena workers, but he felt he was being unnecessarily targeted and jumped out of the van, which was when he was attacked again. “He questioned why he was being put in the van and jumped out of the vehicle. By then, however, the mob had increased and they attacked Sathawane. Our people and police tried, but failed to rescue him.”

Pasricha admitted that in a mob of over 1,500 people, there were only 20 policemen on duty and that they had been accused of taking no action.

“The additional superintendent of police will enquire as to why the 20 policemen on duty did not take action against the attackers. This report will be submitted me by Monday,” Pasricha told DNA. Deshmukh said he will wait for the report to be submitted.

It may be recalled that the Congress and NCP held a rally on Thursday evening, in Tarsa village, 40km away from Nagpur. The Zilla Parishad by poll was scheduled for Saturday, and as Sena candidate Lobhare was killed, his widow Nanda will be contesting them. The Zilla Parishad elections have had a history of violence.

k_neeta@dnaindia.net

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