Sena leader acquitted in arson case

Nagpur, Feb 4: A local Shiv Sena leader and 12 others charged with causing the biggest chemical fire in the country8217;s history at the factory of DCL Polyesters at Mauda, near temple town of Ramtek in the district, were acquitted by a sessions court here yesterday.

The fire, estimated to have caused a loss of more than Rs 13 crore, occurred in June 1995 when the Union led by the Sena leader and main accused, Prakash Jadhav, was agitating against the management of the factory, set up by a relation of former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao, who was elected from Ramtek to the Lok Sabha twice.

The prosecution charged Jadhav and his followers with going to the DCL godown at Mouda on the Nagpur-Bhandara road on June 14 around midnight, beating up the security gaurd and setting fire to the highly-inflammable raw material used for manufacturing polyester yarn.

Additional sessions judge N T Batule held that the charge could not be proved as the sarpanch of Mathni village testified that Jadhav was with him frommidnight to 4 am that day.