Pune Mirror: Pune: Friday, 01 September 2023.
RTI activist Satish Shetty, who blew the whistle on alleged land scams, was murdered in January 2010
Right to Information (RTI) activist Satish Shetty’s murder case has taken a new turn as the Supreme Court has issued notices to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Union ministry of home affairs regarding the closure report submitted in the case.
This could potentially lead to a reinvestigation under the supervision of the Supreme Court, informed Sandeep Shetty, the brother of Satish Shetty.
On January 13, 2010, Satish Shetty from Talegaon Dabhade was murdered. He was an advocate for information rights in the Maval area. He had exposed alleged irregularities in the Pune-Mumbai Expressway project and land scams in the Maval area. He had also demanded police protection but was denied.
Meanwhile, he had also brought to light alleged land irregularities along the Pune-Mumbai Expressway through the RTI Act.
Four months before his murder, Shetty was in the news for filing a complaint against 13 people of IRB Infra for land grabbing along the Pune-Mumbai Expressway. It was alleged that IRB had grabbed 73.88 hectare in the Maval area.
On the morning of January 13, 2010, Shetty went out for a walk and was found injured on the road in Talegaon Dabhade. He was admitted to the hospital for immediate treatment but was pronounced dead by doctors.
His brother gave a statement that two men riding a motorbike ambushed his brother, attacked him with sharp weapons and fled the scene.
According to Sandeep Shetty’s statement, after filing a complaint about the murder, the Talegaon Dabhade police launched an investigation.
Meanwhile, the case was transferred to the local crime branch (LCB) of the Pune rural police. At that time, the responsibility for investigating the case was with senior police inspector Bhausaheb Andhalkar.
During the investigation, six individuals, including Vijay Dabhade, were arrested. However, the main accused were not arrested at that point, as had been mentioned by Sandeep Shetty.
One of the six accused was also a lawyer.
Later, they were released due to a lack of evidence.
Case handed over to CBI
Sandeep Shetty then approached the high court, requesting a transfer of the investigation to the CBI and demanding a thorough investigation into the case. The HC granted permission for the CBI to investigate on April 6, 2010. The CBI initiated the investigation on April 17, 2010.
However, during the initial stages of the CBI team’s investigation, there were changes, and a new team was formed in 2012, which accelerated the investigation. Between April 2010 and August 2014, the CBI conducted a thorough investigation with the assistance of the ACB. During that period, the CBI and ACB conducted inquiries involving approximately 550 individuals. Raids were conducted on 30 locations of the IRB, and 36 individuals underwent polygraph tests. The CBI investigated the call records of over 200 people.
From November 2014 to January 2015, the CBI carried out further raids on some properties of the IRB. During this, it was claimed that evidence linking Satish Shetty’s murder case was found. Hence, the CBI requested to reopen the investigation in connection with the land grab case, which Satish Shetty had filed in October 2009.
Closure report, fresh probe request by CBI
On August 11, 2014, the CBI submitted a closure report to the court, just three days after filing an appeal seeking permission to re-investigate the land scam case. In its 1,000-page closure report, the CBI cited “inconsistency of evidence.”
The closure report included phone recordings between IRB Infrastructure Chairman and Managing Director Virendra Mhaiskar, IRB Liaison Officer Jayant Dangre, lawyer Ajit Kulkarni, and then Pune LCB chief Bhausaheb Andhalkar.
From November 2014 to January 2015, the CBI again raided some of the assets of the IRB. On January 17, 2015, the CBI sought the permission of the court to resume the investigation of the murder case, stating that it had evidence related to the Satish Shetty murder case. Then in April 2016, the CBI arrested the then LCB chief Bhausaheb Andhalkar and sub-inspector Kothale. Later he was released on bail.
The final charge sheet was filed by CBI on July 4, 2016. On March 27, 2018, the CBI submitted its report to the sessions court. CBI gave a clean chit to IRB MD Mhaiskar and all other accused.
RTI activist Satish Shetty, who blew the whistle on alleged land scams, was murdered in January 2010
Right to Information (RTI) activist Satish Shetty’s murder case has taken a new turn as the Supreme Court has issued notices to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Union ministry of home affairs regarding the closure report submitted in the case.
This could potentially lead to a reinvestigation under the supervision of the Supreme Court, informed Sandeep Shetty, the brother of Satish Shetty.
On January 13, 2010, Satish Shetty from Talegaon Dabhade was murdered. He was an advocate for information rights in the Maval area. He had exposed alleged irregularities in the Pune-Mumbai Expressway project and land scams in the Maval area. He had also demanded police protection but was denied.
Meanwhile, he had also brought to light alleged land irregularities along the Pune-Mumbai Expressway through the RTI Act.
Four months before his murder, Shetty was in the news for filing a complaint against 13 people of IRB Infra for land grabbing along the Pune-Mumbai Expressway. It was alleged that IRB had grabbed 73.88 hectare in the Maval area.
On the morning of January 13, 2010, Shetty went out for a walk and was found injured on the road in Talegaon Dabhade. He was admitted to the hospital for immediate treatment but was pronounced dead by doctors.
His brother gave a statement that two men riding a motorbike ambushed his brother, attacked him with sharp weapons and fled the scene.
According to Sandeep Shetty’s statement, after filing a complaint about the murder, the Talegaon Dabhade police launched an investigation.
Meanwhile, the case was transferred to the local crime branch (LCB) of the Pune rural police. At that time, the responsibility for investigating the case was with senior police inspector Bhausaheb Andhalkar.
During the investigation, six individuals, including Vijay Dabhade, were arrested. However, the main accused were not arrested at that point, as had been mentioned by Sandeep Shetty.
One of the six accused was also a lawyer.
Later, they were released due to a lack of evidence.
Case handed over to CBI
Sandeep Shetty then approached the high court, requesting a transfer of the investigation to the CBI and demanding a thorough investigation into the case. The HC granted permission for the CBI to investigate on April 6, 2010. The CBI initiated the investigation on April 17, 2010.
However, during the initial stages of the CBI team’s investigation, there were changes, and a new team was formed in 2012, which accelerated the investigation. Between April 2010 and August 2014, the CBI conducted a thorough investigation with the assistance of the ACB. During that period, the CBI and ACB conducted inquiries involving approximately 550 individuals. Raids were conducted on 30 locations of the IRB, and 36 individuals underwent polygraph tests. The CBI investigated the call records of over 200 people.
From November 2014 to January 2015, the CBI carried out further raids on some properties of the IRB. During this, it was claimed that evidence linking Satish Shetty’s murder case was found. Hence, the CBI requested to reopen the investigation in connection with the land grab case, which Satish Shetty had filed in October 2009.
Closure report, fresh probe request by CBI
On August 11, 2014, the CBI submitted a closure report to the court, just three days after filing an appeal seeking permission to re-investigate the land scam case. In its 1,000-page closure report, the CBI cited “inconsistency of evidence.”
The closure report included phone recordings between IRB Infrastructure Chairman and Managing Director Virendra Mhaiskar, IRB Liaison Officer Jayant Dangre, lawyer Ajit Kulkarni, and then Pune LCB chief Bhausaheb Andhalkar.
From November 2014 to January 2015, the CBI again raided some of the assets of the IRB. On January 17, 2015, the CBI sought the permission of the court to resume the investigation of the murder case, stating that it had evidence related to the Satish Shetty murder case. Then in April 2016, the CBI arrested the then LCB chief Bhausaheb Andhalkar and sub-inspector Kothale. Later he was released on bail.
The final charge sheet was filed by CBI on July 4, 2016. On March 27, 2018, the CBI submitted its report to the sessions court. CBI gave a clean chit to IRB MD Mhaiskar and all other accused.
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