Maharashtra orders SIT probe into murder of journalist Shashikant Warishe

The Maharashtra government on Saturday announced a special investigative team (SIT) probe into the death of a journalist, Shashikant Warishe, who was killed at Rajapur in Ratnagiri district last week. Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the home department portfolio, asked a senior police officer to head the SIT probe.

Warishe, a journalist who had done extensive reporting on the proposed Barsu refinery, was run over by a vehicle allegedly driven by Pandharinath Amberkar on February 6. Amberkar, who dealt in real estate, was keen for the refinery project to go ahead and allegedly killed Warishe as he was miffed with the stories done on him and the refinery.

The development comes as the opposition upped the ante, with Shiv Sena (Uddhav) MP Sanjay Raut tweeting a picture of the arrested accused Amberkar with the state industry minister Uday Samant and alleged "political" reasons behind the murder. "A lot of politicians have brought land under benami names near the Nanar refinery. All those landowners affected by Shashikant's writings have conspired to kill him," said Raut.