The Ahmednagar police on Monday arrested BJP legislator Shivaji Kardile in connection with the murder of Shiv Sena leaders Sanjay Kotkar and Vasant Thube on Saturday evening.
A press note issued by the Ahmednagar police on Sunday declared that the MLA, along with 53 others connected to the crime as well as with the subsequent vandalism of the Ahmednagar District Superintendent's office, were absconding.
On Sunday, the police booked Mr. Kardile, with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLC Arun Jagtap (NCP legislator Sangram Jagtap’s father) and 30 others for allegedly hatching a conspiracy and executing the killings.
Mr. Kardile, MLA from Ahmednagar’s Rahuri Assembly constituency, however, denied having been ‘arrested’ by the police. He said he “voluntarily gave himself up” at the Bhingar police station on Monday morning.
“The police are investigating the crime and the culprits will be brought to justice. I have no relation with it. Since Saturday, the Opposition is besmirching some members of my family and me by linking our names with the murders. Seeing this, I voluntary decided to appear before the police and cooperate with the probe,” he told a local television channel.
Second arrest in two days
Sangram Jagtap, son-in-law of Mr. Kardile; Congress candidate Vishal Kotkar, who won the Kedgaon bypoll to the Ahmednagar civic body; his father, Balasaheb Kotkar; Sandeep Gunjal; and Bhanudas Kotkar were taken into police custody in connection with the killings in Pune’s Kedgaon area.
Soon after Mr. Jagtap was arrested in the early hours of Sunday, Mr. Kardile, along with a mob of over 200 persons allegedly stormed the District Police Superintendent’s office and vandalized it.
However, Mr. Kardile denied the allegations, stating that events had been “misinterpreted”.
“After Sangram [Jagtap] was arrested, a huge mob had gathered at the SP’s office. I was returning from a function and decided to stop en route and pacify the irate mob. I urged restraint on the crowd and let the law take its course,” he said adding that If found guilty, he was ready to face any judicial or party inquiry.
The aftermath of the Kedgaon bypoll, coupled with years of internecine political rivalry, are said to be the broad reasons for the murder of the two Sena leaders, who were shot at and attacked with shard, scythe-like weapons.
The murders have led to the suspension of police inspector Abhay Parmar of Ahmednagar’s Kotwali police station. He is replaced by PI Ramesh Ratnaparkhi.
Parmar’s suspension by the Minister of State for Home Deepak Kesarkar was prompted by the Shiv Sena’s allegations about the allegedly controversial role of the police authorities in Kedgaon in the crime.
All three families — the Kardiles, the Jagtaps and the Kotkars — are related to each other by marriage and are said to virtually dominate Ahmednagar politics, especially at the taluk and civic body levels.
Mr. Kardile’s and Congress leader Bhanudas Kotkar’s names figure prominently in the murder of lottery-ticket businessman Ashok Lande in Ahmednagar 2008.
Political slugfest
The Ahmednagar murders have already snowballed into a political slugfest, with the Sena and the NCP trading barbs at each other.
On Sunday, senior Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra Minister Ramdas Kadam, speaking in Ahmednagar, alleged that the murders were “a premeditated conspiracy hatched by the BJP, the Congress and the NCP” to antagonise the Sena.
In a riposte to Mr. Kadam, senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar, speaking in Satara district, accused the Sena of attempting to tarnish his party’s reputation by fabricating charges against Mr. Jagtap.
