Maharashtra govt orders SIT, assures compensation to family of scribe who was allegedly murdered

Journalist Shashikant Varishe was mowed down by an SUV and one person has been arrested for murder

Under fire from the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis dispensation on Saturday ordered a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and assured compensation to the family of journalist Shashikant Varishe, who was killed in Ratnagiri.

The incident has snowballed into a major political issue in Maharashtra, with the opposition NCP-Congress-Shiv Sena making it clear that it would raise the matter during the ensuing Budget Session of Maharashtra legislature.

On Saturday, there were huge protests in Rajapur town in Raigad district where slogans like 'Shashikant Varishe amar rahe...amar rahe' were raised.

The protestors demanded that the accused be given capital punishment.

Varishe (46) worked for the local Marathi newspaper Mahanagari Times and he was targeted for his writings on the proposed Ratnagiri Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (RRPCL), which is expected to come up at Barsu-Solgaon in Rajapur after it was shifted from the nearby Nanar site.

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Varishe was mowed down by an SUV belonging to real estate dealer Pandharinath Amberkar, who has been arrested by the Ratnagiri police for murder.

On social media platforms, there were photos of the suspect with several politicians, which sparked off a controversy.

Fadnavis, the Deputy Chief Minister, who holds the Home portfolio, said that a SIT would be formed to investigate the incident, which is now being probed by the Rajapur police.

State Industries Minister Uday Samant, who is the Guardian Minister of Ratnagiri district, said that a compensation amount would be worked out. “I agree with all the journalists, journalist bodies and organisations and political parties…surely ex-gratia would be worked out,” said Samant.

NCP supremo Sharad Pawar said that there should be a proper and thorough probe into the incident.

Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg MP Vinayak Raut said that the matter is being brought to the notice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar said that the issue is extremely serious.

“We are going to raise it during the forthcoming session of the legislature,” said Pawar, a senior leader and former Deputy Chief Minister.

Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut, who is a journalist, has now written a letter to Fadnavis, the Deputy Chief Minister, who also holds the Home portfolio. “Please look at the issue seriously,” he wrote and sought a Rs 50 lakh ex-gratia for the family of the journalist.

Raut also said that Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray would soon be visiting Ratnagiri to have a first-hand assessment of the situation. “Several journalist organisations across the country have condemned the incident,” he said.

“A man who was to get benefits from the oil refinery project mowed down the journalist who was voicing the people’s opinions against the refinery. It seems the ruling parties have a game plan to suppress issues concerning the common people and hide the truth by pressurising and threatening journalists,” state NCP President Jayant Patil had earlier said.

Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe said: “The killing of a journalist like this is an atrocious attack on democracy and a blot on a progressive and tolerant state like Maharashtra. Law and order has deteriorated under the Shinde-Fadnavis regime.”

Meanwhile, PCI Chairperson Justice Ranjana Desai directed the Maharashtra government through its Chief Secretary and Director General of Police to submit a report on the facts of the case at the earliest.

It has also sought a report from the Ratnagiri Collector and District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police.