Maharashtra Journalist Crushed To Death Allegedly By SUV For Reporting Against A Refinery Project
The Maharashtra Police has filed a murder case against a local land dealer, who was arrested concerning the killing of a journalist.
The land dealer, identified as Pandharinath Amberkar, was arrested for the murder of Shashikant Warishe, who was mowed down by an SUV in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district on Tuesday.
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Killed for doing his job
The two-wheeler of Warishe, who wrote for the Marathi newspaper Mahanagari Times was hit by an SUV allegedly driven by Amberkar at a petrol pump in Rajapur.
The shocking incident happened hours after a report by Warishe was published in a local newspaper about the proposed Ratnagiri Refinery and Petrochemical project.
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Warishe had alleged that Amberkar was involved in illegal land grabs and had threatened locals to oppose the oil refinery construction.
Opposition to refinery project
The multi-billion dollar project, which Amberkar had supported, faced stiff opposition from sections of the local population.
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The Ratnagiri Refinery and Petrochemical project, earlier proposed to be built at Nanar village in Ratnagiri district in coastal Konkan, was scrapped before the 2019 polls at the instance of the Shiv Sena, the then alliance partner of the ruling BJP. The Union government had last year hinted at its revival at another location.
Accused threatened those opposed to the project
On Wednesday, the Mumbai Press Club said Warishe had written a series of reports highlighting “the local resistance to a petroleum refinery in Barsu” and recently pointed out some banners where Amberkar’s picture featured along with those of Chief Minister and Prime Minister.
“Amberkar, a leader of the local land mafia, was known to threaten and harass those who resisted any land acquisition on behalf of the upcoming refinery,” the Mumbai Press Club alleged, demanding strict action by the state government in the case.
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Earlier, members of the Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Patrakar Parishad, a federation of Marathi journalists, had met Maharashtra Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis and sought a probe into Warishe’s death.
Amberkar, who fled from the spot, was arrested on Tuesday, has been under section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code. Police have now also added section 302 (murder) to the FIR.
CPJ demand investigation
On Wednesday, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) demanded that the authorities thoroughly investigate the killing of Warishe and ensure those responsible are brought to justice.
“Indian authorities must thoroughly investigate all those involved in killing journalist Shashikant Warishe, and ensure they are brought to justice,” said Beh Lih Yi, CPJ’s Asia program coordinator. “The Maharashtra government must take steps to protect all journalists working in the state and seek accountability for those attacked or killed.”
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