Shetty murder part 2: A buried ‘land scam’ back under CBI lens
After raids on IRB, CBI re-opens the case.
4 min read
An alleged land scam exposed by RTI activist Satish Shetty is now at the core of investigation of his murder. Based on documents obtained under RTI, Shetty had lodged a complaint of cheating and forgery at the Lonavala city police station on October 15, 2009, against IRB’s chairman and managing director Virendra Mhaiskar and 12 others, including the then sub-registrar Ashwini Kshirsagar, alleging illegal purchase of land in Ozarde and Pimploli villages in Maval taluka of Pune district. Shetty started receiving threats and on November 24, 2009, he had filed an application with the rural police seeking protection. But on January 13, 2010, he was murdered with a sharp weapon in Talegaon Dabhade.
‘Shetty filed land scam plea due to misunderstanding’
Shetty’s family had demanded probe against those named by him in his application seeking protection. But the Pune rural police filed a closure report (c- summary) in this case on September 9, 2011.
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A few months later, in 2012, IRB scrapped its township project on this disputed land. In its closure report, police said probe had revealed that the disputed land was already acquired by the government and was with the Mumbai Road Development and Design Division. “Investigation revealed that the crime alleged by the complainant (Shetty) has not been committed… the complainant has filed a complaint against the accused (Mhaiskar and others) due to misunderstandings…,” it stated. The local crime branch (LCB) team of the Pune rural police led by inspector Bhausaheb Andhalkar (now arrested by CBI), which probed Shetty’s murder, had arrested six persons, including advocate Vijay Dabhade, from Talegaon. Shetty’s family, however, alleged these were false arrests.
Satish first offered bribe, then got threats: CBI report
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Nearly four years after taking over the probe in the Satish Shetty murder case in September 2010, the CBI moved the Bombay High Court on August 8, 2014, seeking permission to re-open this land scam case, saying it could be linked to the murder. But just in three days, the CBI filed a closure report in the murder case on August 11, 2014.
Read | Shetty murder: CBI closure report left gaping holes open
In the closure report, the CBI stated, “After registration of the said case (alleged land scam), the deceased Satish Shetty was offered bribe of Rs 2 crore for not pursuing the matter by Jayant Dangare, IRB’s liaison manager. On his refusal, Dangare threatened him saying his men would break his bones. Thereafter, vide letter dated 23/11/2009 and 24/11/2009, Shetty requested superintendent of police, Pune rural, for providing police protection to him and his family.”
‘Plea for security ignored’
The CBI closure report stated, “He (Satish) did not get police protection despite recommendation dated 8/01/2010 of Dilip Shinde, SDPO, Lonavala, who had recorded statement of Shetty in this regard on 25/12/2009.” CBI report also mentioned that assistant police inspector Sunil Tonpe wrote to the Pune rural SP on January 12 (a day before the murder), recommending protection for Shetty. But this letter reached the SP office on January 16.
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After CBI raids on IRB offices, murder back in spotlight
The CBI stated in its closure report that it found no evidence against Mhaiskar or any other suspects. “The motive behind murder was also not established,” it stated.
While the murder probe was closed, CBI continued to investigate the land scam case and conducted searches in January 2015 at 21 places in Pune and Mumbai, which led to seizure of incriminating material. After CBI raids, IRB had issued a press release saying, “The Company and its management have fully cooperated with them and provided the necessary documents and denied any wrongdoing.”
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