Pune lawyer arrested for conspiring murder of former PCMC corporator Kailash Kadam

Two of the accused men revealed to the police that the plan was a brainchild of advocate Mancharkar, who has himself served time in Yerawada jail till December 14, 2015.

Advocate Satish Mancharkar was arrested and remanded to police custody till September 19 by a local court, on Friday, for conspiring to kill former Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) corporator Kailash Kadam.

The plan was brought to light by police inspector Rajendra Todkar of Unit-4, crime branch and his colleagues. (HT REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE)

Kalya alias Raju Mahadev Patre, 32, from Ambegaon, Santosh Macchindra Jagtap, from Pimpri-Chinchwad, and Lubhya alias Santosh Chintamani Chandilkar from Mulshi, were serving jail time for various crimes including murder, attempted murder and robbery, when they escaped, according to a statement issued by Basavraj Teli, deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone-1.

A case of their escape in the forest area of Katraj Ghat was registered at Pimpri police station under Section 224 of Indian Penal Code (IPC). The police arrested Kalya Patre from Chinchwad at 4 pm on Friday. Patre led the police to the man who had plotted for their escape from the jail, Suresh Swaminath Zende, 29, a resident of Thergaon, who was arrested at 6 pm on Friday, according to DCP Teli.

The two men revealed to the police that the plan was a brainchild of advocate Mancharkar, who has himself served time in Yerawada jail till December 14, 2015, the police said. Mancharkar knew Santosh Jagtap from before his time in the central jail while he met the other three during his stint in Yerawada jail for another attempted murder, according to the police.

The trio who escaped from jail were promised ₹30 lakh along with the weapons necessary to kill Kadam, according to the police. The plan was brought to light by police inspector Rajendra Todkar of Unit-4, crime branch and his colleagues.

A member of Indian National Congress (INC), Kadam is the founder of Hind Kamgar Sanghatna and has served as head of Pune unit of Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) and Maharashtra ST Workers Congress (INTUC).