India: Dhananjay Desai, Hindu Rashtra Sena chief arrested for Mohsin’s murder

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Hindu-Rashtra-Sena-chief-arrested-for-Mohsins-murder/articleshow/36364838.cms

Hindu Rashtra Sena chief arrested for Mohsin’s murder
Asseem Shaikh,TNN | Jun 11, 2014, 01.51 AM IST

PUNE: Hindu Rashtra Sena chief Dhananjay Desai was arrested by the Pune crime branch on Tuesday for his alleged involvement in a criminal conspiracy that led to the murder of 28-year-old Mohsin Shaikh on June 2 in Hadapsar and events preceding the murder.

Senior police officials said interrogation of 17 suspects arrested so far for attacking Mohsin revealed that Desai had instigated them to launch a series of violent protests after objectionable posts were put up on a social media site. He will be produced before the Pune cantonment court on Wednesday afternoon.

Desai had incidentally been arrested on June 2 afternoon for distributing pamphlets with objectionable content. Mohsin was murdered later on the same day. A senior official told TOI that though Desai was not directly involved in Mohsin's murder, he was clearly involved in the conspiracy that led to the murder.

Shahaji Solunke, additional commissioner (crime), who is supervising investigations in the Mohsin murder case, said, "Investigations have revealed that Desai had conspired with other activists to commit Mohsin's murder and other offences. We are collecting evidence to prove his complicity."

Assistant commissioner of police, cyber crime, Gopinath Patil, told TOI that Desai was arrested under section 120 (b) — (criminal conspiracy) read with section 302 (murder).

On Tuesday morning, the police secured a production warrant for Desai from the Pune cantonment court. Assistant public prosecutor B R Patil told the court that Desai's custodial interrogation was important to ascertain his exact role in the conspiracy, which he played with the other accused and to collect evidence in the case. The court then granted the production warrant.

Officials of the Yerawada central prison, where Desai was lodged following his arrest in pamphlet distribution case, handed him over to the crime branch and Hadapsar police at 5 pm. Desai was taken to the Sassoon general hospital for a medical examination after which he was taken to the Hadapsar police station for further investigations.

Elaborating on his participation in the conspiracy, senior officials said that on January 19 this year Desai had held a big rally in the city and given a provocative speech. On March 17, he distributed pamphlets bearing objectionable matter in cantonment and Loni Kalbhor areas. His workers staged a rasta roko at Warje Malwadi on June 1 — a day before Mohsin's murder, to protest against the objectionable posts on a social media site. There were subsequent incidents of rioting and stone pelting that were reported in several parts of the city.

"Considering the sequence of events and subsequent murder of Mohsin, it is clear that Desai's intentions were malafide, there was a conspiracy and Desai was behind it," a senior official said.

Desai was brought to state-run Sassoon General Hospital for routine medical check up. "Our doctors carried out Desai's clinical examination and enquired about his health complaints. This was a routine heath evaluation to see whether he needs any immediate medical care," said D G Kulkarni, medical superintendent of Sassoon Hospital. Kulkarni, however, refused to divulge further details.

Mohsin Shaikh was murdered on the night of June 2 by a mob of 30 to 40 people, alleged to be members of Hindu Rashtra Sena, at Unnati Nagar in Hadapsar when he was on his way home after offering the evening namaz. The mob was moving around the area on bikes to protest against objectionable posts on social media. On top of the post controversy there were rumours that evening of women from both communities being attacked.