Rape-murder case: Parties play politics

One of the four men arrested, Shankar Mudliar (35), for the rape and murder of a 25-year-old woman is an office bearer of the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, reports HT Correspondent.

One of the four men arrested on Monday, Shankar Mudliar (35), for the rape and murder of a 25-year-old woman is an office bearer of the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).

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The party, on Wednesday, defended Mudliar.

“It is a conspiracy by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to defame our party,” said Maharashtra Navnirman Sena spokesperson, Shishir Parkar.

Parkar said Mudliar was present at the party’s Sion-Koliwada office when the incident took place.

The homemaker from Sion-Koliwada was allegedly raped and torched by her spurned lover, Nitya Devendra (25), his brothers Kumar (28) and Rajesh (30), and their cousin, Shankar Mudliar (35) on Monday.

“The other accused are from the Nationalist Congress Party. It is unfair to tarnish our party’s name,” he said.

Parkar said the Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party were trying to derive political mileage.

Shiv Sena spokesperson and Member of Legislative Council Neelam Gorhe met Deputy Commissioner of Police Sanjay Baviskar to check on the progress of the case.

“As Mudliar is associated with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, I told Baviskar not to allow political interference to affect the probe and see to it that the accused do not get bail,” said Gorhe. “The government should look into the rehabilitation of the victim’s two children.”

The victim had, in her dying declaration, said that the accused had harassed her even after marriage.