The city crime branch on Thursday filed a charge sheet against Dhananjay Desai, leader of the right-wing Hindu Rashtra Sena (HRS) for inciting violent protests over controversial Facebook posts which culminated in the brutal murder of IT professional Mohsin Shaikh in June this year.
The 28-year-old Mr. Shaikh was allegedly beaten to death by HRS activists on the night of June 2 in suburban Hadapsar after derogatory pictures of King Shivaji and late Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray were uploaded on Facebook, sparking communal tensions across the city.
“23 people, including Desai and two juveniles, are named in the charge sheet that runs to nearly 650 pages. We have charged Desai under section 153 (a) for criminal conspiracy and promoting enmity between two groups on the grounds of religion among others that led to Mohsin Shaikh’s unfortunate murder,” said Gopinath Patil, ACP (EOW & Cyber Cell) Crime, speaking to The Hindu .
The two juveniles were separately charge sheeted, while the other 20 accused in the case have been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code for murder, attempt to murder and indulging in rioting, said Mr. Patil.
The charge sheet, that lists 106 witnesses, makes clear Desai’s “malafide intentions” in instigating his workers to violence after the uploading of Facebook posts denigrating King Shivaji and Bal Thackeray on May 31.
“The sequence of events shows that it was a clear case of conspiracy. HRS workers held a meeting at Ghondalenagar to stir up trouble. Investigations have shown that Mr. Shaikh had no enmity with anyone,” Mr. Patil said.
According to the document, Desai gave a provocative speech at a rally in Manjri village on January 19 this year. On March 17, he and his followers distributed inflammatory pamphlets in the Pune cantonment and Loni Kalbhor areas. Desai had been apprehended on June 2 for distributing such pamphlets, the same day as Mr. Shaikh was murdered and two others badly injured as HRS activists unleashed a hail of violence, torching bakeries and smashing businesses owned by the minority community.
Earlier this week, a three-member panel of the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) had “strongly recommend” the Maharashtra government to proscribe the HRS in connection with the case, while admonishing the police for its lack of vigilance in preventing Mr. Shaikh’s killing.
The Pune Sessions Court had rejected the HRS chief’s bail plea on July 30, following which Desai had moved the High Court. The Bombay High Court is expected to hear his plea on September 3.
