Accused killed journalist Shashikant Warishe in fit of rage for writing against him, Konkan refinery project: SIT

On February 7, Warishe, a 48-year-old journalist from Rajapur area of Ratnagiri district in Maharashtra, died after being mowed down by an SUV the day before. The SUV was driven by Amberkar, a local land broker and supporter of the refinery.

During the probe, the police found a phone recording of Amberkar in which he explicitly states in Marathi that he will finish off Warishe for publishing a news against him. The chargesheet also states that the accused had threatened Warishe earlier too for writing against him and the proposed petrochemicals refinery in Barsu-Solgaon, the police said.

Accused in journalist Shashikant Warishe’s murder, Pandharinath Amberkar, seen on posters as reported by Mahanagari Times

“Ekacha kaam tamaam karayacha aahe (I have to finish off someone)… Aaj karnar tyacha… Aaj aamhi… (We will do it today),” Amberkar was heard saying in a phone call to a witness just two hours before mowing down Warishe.

“Zop nahi lagnar tyashivay (or else I will not be able to sleep)… Batami vachli? Vachli batami? Thamb pathavto… (Did you read the news? Wait I will send you),” Amberkar said, as per the chargesheet.

The call recording was found in Amberkar’s phone after a mirror image of the phone was taken. The audio recording corroborates Amberkar’s intention to harm the victim, the chargesheet states.

The chargesheet also mentioned that Amberkar has a criminal antecedent and earlier too he had similarly tried to mow down a 21-year-old villager after the latter opposed to support the refinery in the area. “The incident proves that the accused is an habitual offender,” it states.

The Indian Express had reported in February how Amberkar had a history of altercations with those who opposed the setting up of the refinery and petrochemicals plant in the district, and had earlier too allegedly tried to mow down the 21-year-old son of the sarpanch of his village in 2020 after a tiff with him over the refinery.

Currently, there are two groups active in Rajapur taluka — those who support the refinery and those who oppose it.

According to the chargesheet filed by the SIT on May 6, which is in possession of The Indian Express, Amberkar supported the proposed refinery project in and around Barsu village, and had bought land in the area. Whereas Warishe, as resident editor and correspondent of Dainik Mahanagari Times, would constantly write about how the project in Rajapur taluka would harm farmers of the area. The accused had threatened Warishe several times for his reporting.

On February 7, Warishe, a 48-year-old journalist from Rajapur area of Ratnagiri district in Maharashtra, died after being mowed down by an SUV the day before

On February 6, Warishe wrote against the accused in Dainik Mahanagari Times, with a photo of Amberkar on a banner alongside the PM, CM and deputy CM.

Warishe called him a criminal, gangster and land broker, alleging he had criminal antecedents.

The news, which also urged CM Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, to verify with whom their photos have been published, was widely circulated in Rajapur taluka via WhatsApp. The witness in the case had sent the news to Amberkar, who became enraged, as per the chargesheet.

Amberkar is said to have connections with several politicians in Rajapur and a controversy was triggered after photos of Amberkar surfaced with a state minister and other politicians.

The police said that at around 1 pm on the same day, when Ameberkar spotted Warishe at the Mangal Agency petrol pump on his two-wheeler, he sped his SUV on the wrong side of the road and rammed into him. Even though Warishe was stuck under the bumper of the SUV, the accused dragged him for a distance of 275 feet (83.9 m), the chargesheet said.

Amberkar fled the spot and changed vehicles to escape being charged.
He has been booked under sections 302 (murder) and 201 (destroying evidence) under the Indian Penal Code and under Section 4 of The Maharashtra Media Persons and Media Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss to Property) Act, 2017.

Under fire from the Opposition over the murder of a journalist, Fadnavis in February had ordered the setting up of an SIT to probe Warishe’s murder.