Editor of Marathi newspaper arrested for murder

The editor-in-chief of Marathi daily 'Deshonnati' was Tuesday arrested in connection with the murder of a former employee of the newspaper's printing press, police said.

According to officials in the Nagpur Rural Police, Prakash Pohare was arrested from his farmhouse in Akola district by a police team.

On Oct 13, Pohare had visited the newspaper's printing press in Gondkhairi near Nagpur.

Around 120 employees of the printing press, including the security staff were holding an agitation at the press as they had been sacked a few days back.

The victim Rajendra Dupare, 50, a security supervisor at the printing press, was also among those sacked.

Pohare had gone to the press with six newly-appointed security guards to ensure that the old employees vacate the premises and call off the agitation. After a heated argument, Pohare had allegedly ordered one of the guards to shoot Dupare, an official said.

Dupare was taken to Government Medical College Hospital where he was declared brought dead.

The newspaper had, however, in its Oct 14 edition, published Pohare's statement where he said he was attacked when he arrived at the press and that a security guard had fired in self-defence.

The six new security guards were arrested Oct 13, while Pohare was absconding. All seven were booked under sections 302 (murder) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.