An additional district collector was burnt alive by members of an oil mafia in the vicinity of the Panewadi oil depot near Manmad town in Nashik on Tuesday. The area is infamous for oil and kerosene adulteration.
According to the police, Malegaon additional district collector Yashwant Sonawane (45) was returning from Chandwad, in Nashik, with his personal assistant in a government vehicle. Sonawane had gone to pacify agitating farmers at Chandwad, the police said.
On his way back, Sonawane spotted a truck parked at Sagar Dhaba in the Panewadi area and found people in the process of adulterating kerosene. When Sonawane got out of his car to investigate, the men fled from the spot.
“Suspecting something amiss, Sonawane immediately contacted the supply inspector to initiate action. Within a few minutes, four persons reached the spot on two motorcycles and engaged in a scuffle with Sonawane,” additional director-general of police (law and order) K.P. Raghuvanshi told reporters in Mumbai. At this time, sensing trouble, Sonawane’s personal assistant fled from the spot.
“Angered by Sonawane’s intrusion, the four men started creating a ruckus. In a fit of rage, one of them brought kerosene and poured it on Sonawane after which he was set ablaze,” said Mr Raghuvanshi. Sonawane succumbed on the spot.
The police has arrested repeat offender Popat Shinde (50), his son Kunal, his brother-in-law Sitaram Bhalerao and their accomplice, Raju Shirsat. Shinde sustained 60 per cent burns on his body during the scuffle and is in hospital in Malegaon.
Shinde is a member of an oil mafia and already has three cases registered against him under the Essential Commodities Act. Shinde was externed in 2006. “The incident occurred on the spur of the moment, but it is shocking to know that the offenders took this extreme step despite knowing that the officer was travelling in a government vehicle. We are investigating whether there are enough grounds to invoke the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act against the accused,” Mr Raghuvanshi said.
Sonawane was a regarded as an upright officer working against a black-market network in Nashik. In order to protest against the barbaric incident, the Maharashtra State Gazetted Officers’ Federation has announced the officers will strike work on January 27.
The Panewadi area is notorious for its oil mafias. The Panewadi project was commissioned on June 24, 2001 for blending petrol and ethanol. Hundreds of tankers are filled daily at the Panewadi plant, which supplies petroleum products to around 12 districts in Maharashtra. It is estimated that the oil mafia supplies about 10,000 litres of adulterated petrol and diesel every day, accounting for a business of `5 lakh per day. Sources claimed the adulterators are hand-in-glove with local politicians.