Maharashtra Government facing the heat on IT professional’s killing in Pune

MUMBAI: The killing of a 24-year-old IT professional in Pune by some radical rightwing members on Sunday night has turned the heat on the Congress-NCP government in Maharashtra even as the police made some fresh arrests related to the case.

The techie, Moshin Sadiq Shaikh, hailing from Solapur was returning to Pune on Sunday evening, when a mob of more than 17 people affiliated to Hindu Rashtra Sena (HRS), a right-wing organisation, allegedly attacked him with hockey sticks. Shaikh died immediately.

The group was apparently protesting against a Facebook post that carried some morphed pictures of Maratha warrrior king Shivaji and late Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, and had some objectionable stuff written about them.

But Maharashtra Home Minister RR Patil said that Shaikh had no connection with the posts. "From initial investigation, the assessment is that the person (Moshin Sadiq Shaikh) is innocent. Police are investigating who is behind the Facebook posts and strong action will be taken against them."

Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, responding to reports that the Centre had sought for a report on the issue, said, "We keep sending reports to the Centre, but I'm not aware whether we have sent a specific report on the issue."

He also said that that the state would be investigating ‘all angles’, including "whether the incident (killing of Shaikh) had anything to do with the change in government at the Centre". (read BJP).

In response to a question on whether the right-wing organization would be banned by the government, the chief minister said he can't make "an offhand comment" on the issue.

Meanwhile, anger mounted over the killing of the young IT professional. Journalist and activist Jyoti Punwani said the incident has exposed the ‘hypocricy of the Congress’ party. "The Congress talks of being secular all the time, but it is not. Dhananjay Desai who heads the Hindu Rashtra Sena has been making inflammatory speeches for almost ten years now, and has multiple cases against him, but the Congress-NCP government has not taken any action against him," said Punwani.

Farooq Batatawala, who is associated with the All India Milli Council which is planning to lead a delegation to meet Shaikh's family in Solapur, said the Congress-NCP government’s record was woeful when it comes to taking action against right-wing groups. "We have asked for banning this organization for a long time, but nothing has happened," said Batatawala.