Driver mowed down, sand mafia under suspicion

Pune: Anil Jaisingh Kale (55), a driver attached to the Indapur tehsil office, was riding on a scooter on the service road at Galandwadi village in Indapur when he was allegedly mowed down by a speeding SUV near Pune on Thursday at 4 pm.
The police have arrested the two men were in the occupants of the SUV at the time of the incident under sections 302 (punishment for murder) and 34 (common intention) of Indian Penal Code on Friday.The accused have been identified as sand dealer Sachin Pandurang Mane (30) and farmer Navnath Kishan Ekad (32) from Bhat Nimgaon were in the SUV .
The victim's wife Surekha Kale (46) has alleged that her husband's involvement in the persistent action against the sand mafia was the reason behind the murder. Kale would drive the tehsildar's vehicle of the tehsildar during the raids on illegal sand mining and excavation sites in Indapur area. In her complaint, Surekha stated, "My husband came home for a cup of tea at 4 pm and hurriedly left home after receiving a phone call. I came to know that he had met with an accident after I received a phone call from the tehsildar requesting me to rush to the government hospital in Indapur." She said Kale was rushed to a private hospital in Akluj, Solapur district, but he succumbed to injuries while undergoing treatment at around 7.30 pm.
According to the police The complaint, nearly said some three years ago, Kale was allegedly manhandled by the sand mafia at Bhandgaon in Indapur and a complaint was registered with the Indapur police station in this regard.
However, additional superintendent of police Tanaji Chikhale said prima facie investigations have revealed that the Kale was killed in an head-on collision in the presence of eye witnesses. "The CCTV cameras in the area have captured images of the accident but we're are interrogating the suspects to ascertain the nature of the case whether it is a case of accident or murder," he added.
Inspector M D Shinde, the incharge of the Indapur police station, said, "A police patrol arrested Mane, was driving the SUV, and Ekad sitting next to him after a hot chase but there is no evidence to suggest that they intentionally murdered Kale was intentionally murdered by them. The victim's wife has expressed her suspicion that her husband was murdered because Kale was the tehsildar's driver and his of whose staff is involved in taking action against the sand mafia." Shinde added.
Indapur tehsildar Suryakant Yeole said that the incident took place on Friday while he was in Pune for he had gone to Pune for a meeting. "I was returning from Pune to Indapur when I was told about the accident which had taken place on a service road. We immediately rushed to the spot and made arrangements for the ambulance. It seems there was a head on collision of a two-wheeler Kale was riding with a four-wheeler", said Yeole said.Yeole said He further mentioned that the administration will continue to take action has been acting tough against illegal sand miners and transporters but with added police protection. "There has been continuous action over the last nine months. However, following Kale's death we have decided to sought more police protection for taking action. We will ensure that our team will be accompanied by adequate police force for on-the-spot action," Yeole said.Meanwhile, local sources expressed the suspicion that Kale's death was an outcome of recent actions initiated by the administration against illegal extraction of sand and its transport. Sources said, the elements involved in illegal sand business have been threatening local authorities and those passing on information about illegal activities to authorities. Repeated actions have led to unrest among those involved in these activities, sources said. Illegal extraction and transport has been rampant in Indapur and adjacent areas. Most cases of sand extraction have been registered on bank of Ujani dam and Bhima river. The administration has intensified action by initiating raids in vulnerable areas even during late night hours and early mornings. Raids have led to seizing of materials, boats and machinery used for sand extraction and transport.
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