Pune social activist murdered
Mihir Tanksale | TNN
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Pune: Social activist Satish Shetty (39), who had blown the whistle on a series
of land scams in and around Talegaon, Lonavala and Pimpri-Chinchwad, was
brutally murdered by some unidentified assailants near his residence at
Talegaon-Dabhade on Wednesday.
Shetty was on his morning walk when he was attacked with swords and sharp
weapons around 7 am. He was rushed to hospital, but was declared dead on
arrival. An anticorruption crusader for the last 15 years, Shetty was wielding
the Right to Information Act (RTI) Act to expose irregularities in government
offices.
Shetty exposed Pune land scams
Pune: Social activist Satish Shetty (39), who was murdered by unidentified
assailants on Wednesday, had been using the Right to Information Act over the
last five years to expose irregularities in government offices.
His brother, Sandeep (34), told the police in his complaint that Shetty may
have been murdered by some persons whom he had exposed. He said his brother had
exposed many land scams in and around Talegaon.
Senior police inspector Bhausaheb Andhalkar of the local crime branch, Pune
Rural, said Shetty had used the RTI Act to expose the setting-up of restaurants
and marriage halls in residential zones.
The murder shocked citizens and civic activists in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad.
Traders and shopkeepers in Talegaon-Dabhade pulled down their shutters to
protest against the killing.
Shetty’s murder is a major embarrassment for the police as he had demanded
police protection after having received threats to his life. Speaking to TOI,
additional superintendent of police Ramnath Pokle said, “We will question all
the suspects involved in the scams exposed by Shetty.” The crime branch has
detained four persons. Police teams have been formed to launch a hunt for the
assailants.
Speaking to TOI, additional superintendent of police Ramnath Pokle said, “There
are many angles in this murder case. Shetty had exposed many scams as well as
irregularities in the region. Shetty had many personal rivals.”
