Cops have sketches of Rajwani killers

Mumbai, January 27: The Ulhasnagar police have put together identity sketches of two of the three assailants involved in the killing of Sh...

Mumbai, January 27: The Ulhasnagar police have put together identity sketches of two of the three assailants involved in the killing of Shiv Sena strongman Gopal Rajwani in the township on January 25. The sketches have been prepared on the basis of eyewitness accounts.

The Rajwani family has said in the FIR that TADA detenue and local MLA Pappu Kalani, former deputy mayor Kumar Ailani, Congress leader Mohan Behrani, Dr Jayram Lulla and corporators Godu Krishnani and Gidu Sachdev were responsible for Rajwani8217;s killing.

Ulhasnagar deputy commissioner of police D M Phadtare said: 8220;As of now we only have a more definite chronology of events that preceded the shootout. We are now working on two theories about the possible motive.8221; He, however, refused to divulge what the theories were as that would 8220;hamper investigations.8221;

The deceased8217;s wife Sunita Rajwani, daughter Poonam Waringhe and son-in-law Pandharinath Waringhe 8212; all Sena corporators in the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation 8212; have charged police with indrectly abetting the killing by not providing Rajwani with protection despite many reminders. 8220;We had definite information that a supari had been given to kill him and alerted police. But little was done,8221; Sunita said.

According to her, on January 25 she told her husband not to leave home as she feared for his life. 8220;I had deliberately sent the driver away that day thinking this will ensure he stays home. But as fate would have it, he made our son-in-law drive him to court,8221; she said.

She also pointed out how police had provided protection in 1995 on their request but it was subsequently withdrawn within six months without any explanation.

DCP Phadtare said protection is given on the basis of threat perception and after ensuring that the person being protected has no criminal antecedents. 8220;The committee which goes into the various requests for protection received by the commissionerate had rejected his request on the second count,8221; he noted.

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Sunita Rajwani also alleged that the conspiracy to kill her husband was hatched in Nagpur during the winter session. 8220;Except for Mohan Behrani, whose police protection would give away his movements, mayor Hardas Makhija, Jyoti Kalani and others named in the FIR met in Nagpur and the supari was given. One of the boys with them known to us has told us of what transpired in that meeting,8221; she said, pointing out how police have refused to include these details in the FIR inspite of repeated pleas.

While expressing his sympathies for the Rajwani family, Makhija said he had not heard of his name being mentioned by the Rajwanis as a co-conspirator. 8220;Why would I want to go against someone who helped me in becoming mayor?8221; he asked, pointing out that he had gone to Nagpur to meet Chief Minister Vilas Deshmukh for corporation-related work.