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Hindu outfit leader, 21 others acquitted in 2014 murder case of Pune IT professional
A court in Pune on Friday acquitted 22 people, including Dhananjay Jayram Desai, the leader of a right-wing Hindu outfit in the 2014 murder case of Mohsin Shaikh (28) an Information Technology professional
A court in Pune on Friday acquitted 22 people, including Dhananjay Jayram Desai, the leader of a right-wing Hindu outfit in the 2014 murder case of Mohsin Shaikh (28) an Information Technology professional.
On June 2, 2014, during the communal clashes which spread after the circulation of objectionable pictures of Shivaji Maharaj and Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray on social media, youths associated to the Hindu Rashtra Sena (HRS) had allegedly attacked Shaikh in Hadapsar area.
Additional Sessions Judge SB Salunkhe acquitted 22 persons, including Desai, for lack of evidence, the HRS leader’s lawyer Milind Pawar said.
The court read out an operative part of the judgment stating that the evidence on record was not strong enough to convict Desai and other accused in the case. The prosecution has failed to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt.
The defence successfully argued Desai was in jail in connection with another case when the murder took place, Pawar said.
Desai was not present at the scene of the incident as he was in judicial custody at Yerawada Central Jail in a case of making inflammatory speech lodged at Paud police station. Hadapsar police have not recovered anything suspicious from Desai in the murder case. Desai was booked and arrested in the murder case from Yerawada Central Jail. The prosecution has not proved that Dhananjay Desai incited the sentiments of Hindus or encouraged or incited anyone to kill Mohsin Shaikh or to incite riots or to commit the said crime, the defence counsel argued.
Pawar said that Desai works for the protection and advancement of Hinduism through the organisation Hindu Rashtra Sena (HRS). Desai was falsely implicated in the said crime only due to political pressure as the Vidhan Sabha elections were announced during June 2014. Accepting the argument made by Pawar, accused Desai was acquitted due to lack of strong evidence.
The witnesses in the case narrated the entire incident but they failed to identify all the accused arrested in the case, Pawar added.
Desai was held some days after the murder and was released on bail in January, 2019.
Desai said, “I have been made a scapegoat of politics. Besides me, 22 persons were made accused by the then state government led by Congress and NCP. None of the witnesses identified any of us in the court. There was absolutely no evidence. The court has done justice to all of us.”
When asked specifically about who killed Mohsin Shaikh, Desai replied , “It is for the police to answer. If I am given the authority to investigate, then I will find out.”
The case
Shaikh , a native of Solapur along with his friend Riyaz Ahmad Mubarak Shendure was returning to his Hadapsar residence after offering prayers when he was beaten up by youths owing allegiance to HRS. Following a few hours after his death, his brother Mubeen Shaikh lodged an FIR against the accused out of which one was a minor HRS President Desai. All of them were later released on bail.
Shaikh’s murder took place in the aftermath of violent protests which broke out in the city over offensive and morphed images of Chhatrapati Shivaji and late Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray that went viral on social media. Following the incident, a riot-like situation had prevailed in Hadapsar. Shaikh sported a beard and had worn green Pathani kurta, on the evening of June 2 when around 25 members of the HRS came on bikes and beat him up with hockey sticks and stones at Hadapsar.
About Dhananjay Jayram Desai
-Desai had developed extremist Hindutva views from a tender age of 14 when he formed his own far right- group based in Pune
-Within a few years, Desai and his group began launching minor protests on issues related to injustice towards his Hindu faith
- Desai has at least 20 cases lodged against him at various police stations
-These cases are related to rioting and making inflammatory speeches
-The Hadapsar police in their charge sheet had pointed out that Desai had delivered inflammatory and communally charged speeches on Jan 19, 2014 at Manjari and on March 17, 2014 , both areas which are in close proximity to Hadapsar area of Pune
