Additional Collector burnt alive in Maharashtra, 3 held

Agencies

Mumbai, 25 January 2011: An additional District Collector was on Tuesday burnt alive allegedly by petrol mafia at Manmad in Maharashtra’s Nashik district, police said.

Additional District Collector Yashwant Sonawane was accompanied by his personal assistant and driver when the incident took place at a roadside Dhaba near Manmad town, about 260 km from here.

“Preliminary reports say Mr. Sonawane had gone there to conduct a raid on petrol and diesel mafia. There some people, believed to be associated with the mafia, set him on fire causing his death,” Additional Director General (Law & Order) K P Rahuvanshi said.

Another report said Mr. Sonawane had stopped at a roadside hotel on way to a certain place to oversee security arrangements for an event when he found people adulterating fuel.

Mr. Sonawane objected to it, leading to a scuffle during which he was set ablaze.

Three detained

Three persons, including the suspected main culprit, have been detained for burning to death Mr. Sonawane, police said.

“The main culprit in the incident has also sustained burn injuries and he along with two aides has been detained. Further investigations are on,” Rafeeq Shaikh, Inspector at Manmad police station, told PTI.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Gazetted Officers Federation has called for a day-long strike on January 27 to protest the murder.

G.V. Kulthe, general secretary of the Federation told PTI that other unions will join the Federation members in staging a massive protest against the “shocking” and “gruesome” incident.