Republic Day Shame : Burnt Alive in line of Duty

A gruesome and barbaric act, reminiscent of a medieval community, shook well-heeled India out of its stupor on the eve of Republic Day.

An Additional District Collector of Malegaon, ashwant Sonavane, was burnt alive in broad daylight by the henchmen of oil mafia. His crime? The 42- year- old Maharashtra cadre officer had unearthed a hoarding and adulteration racket in kerosene and petrol! Both his personal assistant and driver were mute witnesses as he turned into a ball of fire.

Sonavane was an honest officer who had ordered a series of raids on black marketeers of petrol and kerosene in Nashik district, which had rubbed the powers that be on the wrong side. On Tuesday he was returning to Nandgaon from Chandwad where he had gone to attend an official meeting. As his car approached village Panewadi, he sighted a tanker parked besides a brick house.

Sensing that something was amiss, he halted the car and asked his personal assistant, Raju Kale, and the driver to inquire. They made discreet inquiries and told Sonavane that some miscreants were mixing petrol with kerosene. Sonavane, extremely mindful of his duty, stepped out of his car and decided to look into the matter. When he saw the accused mixing petrol with kerosene, he asked them to desist or face official action. This infuriated the accused, Popat Shinde, his son Kunal, one Raju Shirsat and Kachru Survalkar, who started arguing with Sonavane.

Undeterred, the Additional District Collector called up the district civil supplies officer on his mobile and asked him to reach the spot immediately and arrest the miscreants. This infuriated Shinde and his accomplices: they got hold of a can of petrol and emptied its lethal contents on Sonavane and set him on fire, even as Kale and the driver scurried for help. But there was no one around.

Showing presence of mind, Sonavane rolled on the ground to extinguish the fire, but the dry grass added to the combustion. Then, in a desperate act, he put his arms around Shinde and inflicted on his perpetrator severe burns. The police have since arrested all the miscreants. Shinde himself is hospitalised at Nashik with 75% burns.

The incident sent shock waves across Maharashtra, inviting the strongest condemnation from all quarters. Commenting on the incident, senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde said that the state had turned into a ‘ goondaraj.’ Popat is said to be the kingpin of the local oil adulteration mafia. He is also reported to be a known history- sheeter but has always escaped the police dragnet.

Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat told FPJ that the government had decided to apply MCOCA against the perpetrators of the grisly crime. The Maharashtra Gazetted Officers Federation has called for a day long strike on January 27 to protest against the killing.

Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on Tuesday night announced an ex gratia of Rs 25 lakh for the family of ashwant Sonavane, full salary up to the date of his scheduled retirement and a government job to one member of the deceased officer’s family.