Didn’t favour IRB, ready to undergo narco test, say cops

Four Pune rural police officials who were part of the team probing the murder of RTI activist Satish Shetty have filed an application with the sessions court in Pune saying they want a narco analysis conducted on them and the procedure shown live on television channels.

At a press conference on Wednesday, retired inspector Bhausaheb Andhalkar, who was the then in-charge of local crime branch of Pune rural police, said he along with assistant police inspector Namdev Kauthale, head constable Ramesh Nale and another constable who is now retired, filed their application on November 6.

Andhalkar said Sandip Shetty, the brother of Satish and complainant in the murder case, had suspected involvement of Ideal Road Builders (IRB) Infrastructure Developers Company and another firm Sable Waghire. "The then SP (Pratap Dighavkar) had given written instruction to deputy superintendent Dilip Shinde and inspector Balraj Lanjile of Lonavla police station to probe the role of IRB and Sable Waghire. LCB (local crime branch) was not given the powers to probe the role of IRB and Sable Waghire. We did nothing to favour IRB. We arrested advocate Vijay Dabhade and others based on his history of dispute with Shetty and other facts. The suspects were arrested as per the guidance of our seniors," said Andhalkar. When contacted, Dighavkar refused to comment.

Satish Shetty was stabbed to death on January 13, 2010, at Talegaon Dabhade when he was out on a morning walk. A couple of months before his murder, he had filed an application with the Pune rural police seeking protection. Satish had said he was getting threats after he exposed the alleged land scam at Kamshet involving IRB and Sable Waghire.

The Pune rural police had arrested six persons in the murder case, including Dabhade, his clerk Pramod Waghmode, Navnath Shelar, Parshuram Telgu alias Jakkal, Dongrya Hanumant Rathod and Shyam Dabhade. Telgu was later discharged and a chargesheet was filed against the remaining five.

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