Sonawane murder: CBI files case against 11

The prosecution said a scuffle ensued between Popat and Sonawane,after which the accused hit the Additional Collector with an iron rod. More members of Shinde family and accomplices joined in beating Sonawane soon while his driver and personal assistant went in Sonawane’s official car to the nearest police station. The police,on reaching the spot,found the burnt body of Sonawane and an empty 20-litre kerosene container at the spot later. The CBI case has been registered under several sections of the Indian Penal Code for murder and preventing a government servant from performing his official duty.

Meanwhile,unaware of the development,two Mumbai residents — Madansigh Rajmuradsingh of Bhiwandi and Dhiraj Yewale of Vidyavihar — moved the Bombay High Court after they were named “proposed accused” in the case. They contended that they were in no way involved in the murder and demanded that their names should be deleted from the FIR registered by the Manmad police.

Yewale said in his petition that he was involved in criminal offences prior to 2004 but has reformed since and now does social work in Jalgaon. He said he could not be implicated under the stringent MCOCA as he had not been chargesheeted in any offence in the past ten years.

The Nashik police had named the petitioners for the first time in a proposal forwarded to Inspector General of Police,Nashik on February 3,2011,seeking sanction to invoke MCOCA provisions in the case. A division bench of Justices P V Hardas and MN Gilani,on Friday,directed the state government to file an affidavit in reply to the petitions before adjourning the case till April 21.