Six people sent to police custody in Sonawane murder case

MUMBAI - Six people, who were arrested for the murder of Additional District Collector Yashwant Sonawane, have been sent to police custody by a local court.

In all, eight people are accused in the case; one is missing and another is reported to be in the hospital with serious burn injuries.

Sonawane, who was on an official tour of Manmad on Tuesday, was burnt alive when he tried to stop a group of men from stealing kerosene from a tanker.

They retaliated by pouring kerosene over him and setting him on fire. Sonawane died within minutes.

The murder, which took place in broad daylight, has left the country shocked. It has also exposed the might of the oil mafia in the Marathwada region.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan has ordered an inquiry into the incident and asked that the ambit of the probe in the officer’s murder be expanded to include the entire oil mafia nexus.

“The episode is shocking and arouses anger. We have ordered very strict action against wherever such activities are taking place in the state. We are going to the root of this incident. Who is behind it? The main accused is being interrogated in hospital,” said Chavan.

The public prosecutor told the court that Sonawane was trying to photograph the pilferage of an oil tanker when he was stopped by the eight men accused of killing him, and added that the involvement of important people in the killing could not be ruled out. (ANI)