MP scribe burnt to death by mining mafia

Balaghat (MP), June 21

A 40-year-old local journalist was killed after three people who are believed to have links with the sand mafia burnt him alive after he refused to withdraw a court case, police said on Sunday.

The charred remains of Sandeep Kothari was found near the railway tracks at Sindi in Wardha district of Maharashtra on Sunday, two days after he was abducted from Katangi tehsil on June 19, police said.

Additional Superintendent of Police Neeraj Soni said Kothari was release on bail in a rape case two months ago. His brother identified his remains.

The Bahujan Samaj Party claimed that the sand mafia had harassed the journalist and his family in the past after he “exposed” their activities.

Former MLA from Balaghat Kishore Samrite even claimed that said Kothari has been implicated in more than 12 criminal cases.

"He was banished after he wrote against and also lodged complaints against manganese and sand mafias and other influential people involved in organised crimes. His family was tormented by the mafia," said Samrite.

Police have already arrested three people — Rakesh Nasvani, Vishal Dandi and Brijesh Duharwal (all of who are from Katangi) — in the case.

The Sub-Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) JS Markam said police suspected the trio was engaged in illegal mining and also running chit fund companies.

They were pressuring Kothari, who was working as a tehsil correspondent for some Jabalpur-based Hindi dailies, to withdraw a case of illegal mining he had lodged.

"We are investigating the case and a police team is camping in Nagpur. It will be premature to conclude the exact reason behind the kidnapping and killing," Markam said.

Kothari was headed towards Umri village with his friend Rahandle on his bike when a vehicle hit his motorcycle. The occupants of the vehicle then beat up his friend before forcibly taking him away in the vehicle, the SDOP said.

Police have impounded the car used for kidnapping Kothari, he added. — PTI