Sonavane's killing rocks Cabinet meet, Bhujbal seeks probe

The shameful murder of additional district collector ashwant Sonawane rocked the cabinet meeting on Wednesday with PWD minister Chhagan Bhujbal demanding a CBI inquiry into the incident.

Raising the issue in the meeting, an irked Bhujbal demanded to know as to how the law and order situation had deteriorated to such an extent that government officers were being killed by the oil mafia. He asked the home minister R R Patil to explain as to who were behind all such shameful incidents and demanded a CBI inquiry into the incident to ferret out the truth.

Bhujbal said that insinuations were being made in certain quarters that the adulteration mafia was going on with his blessings in Nashik. He said he was being made the target of a whisper campaign. He was supported by the civic supplies minister Anil Deshmukh.

Intervening in the discussion, Patil said the government was ready to hand over the investigation to the CBI. He said the police had swung into action and arrested all the accused in the case without delay.

Not to lag behind, industries minister Narayan Rane said that whatever was happening in the state was not good for the government's image. He said the opposition is bound to seize every opportunity to denigrate the government that does not mean that their demands should be accepted.

Meanwhile, the BJP has demanded institution of a CBI inquiry into the brutal killing of Malegaon additional collector ashwant Sonawane. A delegation led by opposition leader Eknath Khadse and state BJP chief Sudhir Mungantiwar that met Governor Shakarnarayanan on Wednesday have also demanded a white paper on cancellations of externments in the past three years.