Gadchiroli man murder: NIA takes over probe

Special Judge C S Baviskar sent the four accused to judicial custody till November 16.

The NIA is likely to seek their custody on Tuesday for further probe. Special public prosecutor Jaysing Desai submitted that the NIA will approach the court to seek their custody after completing all necessary documentation.

The special judge directed that proper legal representation be arranged for the accused when they are produced. The four accused — Doba Wadde, Ravi Pallo, Satish Mahaka and Komati Mahaka, residents of Gadchiroli — were booked on charges including murder, criminal conspiracy of the Indian Penal Code.

They now also face seven sections under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The NIA has claimed in its FIR that they are members of the banned organisation Communist Party of India (Maoist) and had carried out the murder.

On November 16, 2023, when Gawde was riding his bicycle near his village, the four accused caught him and shot him dead, the FIR by the Gadchiroli police said. It further said that apart from the four, 15-20 others were involved in the murder.

Gawde’s death happened a day after Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s visit to the district.

The Gadchiroli police had said that a note was found on Gawde’s body, where it was claimed that he was being killed because he was a police informer. The police had claimed that the note also mentioned CPI (Maoist). The police had denied that Gawde was their informer.