Former Sena minister in the dock for councillor's suicide

Former Sena minister in the dock for councillor's suicide
KS MANOJ KUMAR

Aurangabad, January 16: The police have filed charges against controversial former Shiv Sena minister, Arjun Khotkar, for instigating Sengeeta Khilare, an independent councilor of the Jalna Municipal Council, to commit suicide. Khotkar is allegedly absconding and may not return until his anticipatory bail, which is likely to be filed soon, is granted.

Khilare, a Dalit, was found lying unattended and unconscious after being poisoned near Khotkar's house in Jalna, on Friday, three days after she had allegedly met the former minister and his brother Anirudh Khotkar. She died two days later.

According to sources, the Khotkars suspected that Sangeeta, despite being rewarded handsomely in advance, had voted in favour of the NCP-Congress candidate for the post of the Jalna Municipal chief. The Sena candidate lost the election by a narrow margin of two votes in the 44 member house.

Soon Anirudh Khotkar and the Sena candidate Dhanraj Sambre, began making rounds to Sangeeta's house in the slum area of Nutan Colony. Even though Sangeeta insisted that she had voted for the Sena candidate, Khotkar wouldn't believe her.

She finally decided to take the matter to the police and sought protection fearing for her life.

The police did provide her with two constables, but it is still a mystery where the two had been when she walked up to the Khotkar residence in Khwa Gali and allegedly consumed the poison on Friday.

Meanwhile, the Khotkars have filed a cross complaint against Congress MLA Kailash Goryantal, who had prepared the logistics for the Congress-NCP victory.