Ex-Shiv Sena corporator murder case: Cops arrest RTI activist in Mumbai

With Anil Waghmare in custody, police are hoping to arrest Jagdish Pawar — one of the accused — at the earliest

An RTI activist was arrested from Byculla on Friday for his alleged role in ex-corporator Ashok Sawant’s murder. Anil Waghmare became the fifth person to be arrested in the case. He is suspected of contacting Jagdish Pawar aka Jagga, one of the accused, who is on the run. With Waghmare in custody, the police are hoping to arrest Pawar at the earliest. Cops are also searching for another accused, whose identity has been withheld.

The police suspect the murder was committed owing to an old dispute between Pawar and Sawant, after the ex-corporator turned down his request of hiring him as a bodyguard. (HT File)

Police sources said Waghmare’s name cropped up during investigation on the second day after the murder. He lives in the same locality and was allegedly tasked with providing information about Sawant. The police suspect Pawar had asked Waghmare to tail the two-time Shiv Sena corporator to understand his routine.

“Waghmare was taken into custody this [Friday] morning. He was in touch with one of the main accused after the plot to murder Sawant was hatched almost two months ago,” said Anil Mane, senior inspector, Samta Nagar police station.

Before Waghmare, the police arrested Sohail Dodhia, who is said to be Pawar’s friend. Ganesh Jogdand, hired by Dodhia to ferry the assailants, was arrested soon after. The police even detained a 17-year-old from Pune, one of the three people who attacked Sawant on Sunday night with a sharp weapon. Vishal Gaikwad was arrested on Thursday for sheltering the accused.

The police suspect the murder was committed owing to an old dispute between Pawar and Sawant, after the ex-corporator turned down his request of hiring him as a bodyguard.