Did cops sit on Satish Shetty’s protection plea?

The state government has directed the Pune rural police to conduct a separate inquiry to determine if the policemen concerned intentionally delayed processing the murdered RTI activist Satish Shetty’s application, demanding police protection.

Minister of state for home Ramesh Bagwe told DNA on Sunday that he has ordered the superintendent of Pune rural police Pratap Dighavkar to conduct an inquiry in the matter.

“We need to probe if there was laxity on part of the police officers looking into the police protection application submitted by Shetty earlier this month,” Bagwe said.

Shetty, 38, a resident of Talegaon Dabhade near Pune, was murdered on January 13 when he was returning from his morning walk. He was attacked by three unidentified men wearing masks and armed with butcher’s knives.

Shetty was attacked near his house on January 3, following which he had submitted an application to the police requesting protection.

The Pune rural police have already arrested a local advocate, Vijay Dnyaneshwar Dabhade, 45, his office clerk Pramod Dattaraya Waghmare and client Parshuram Tinara Telagu alias Jakki in connection with the Shetty’s murder.

“The officer who was looking into the protection application, if found guilty of delaying the process, will be suspended,” Bagwe assured. According to him, the concerned police officer would have to explain the reasons for the delay, if indeed there was one.

Earlier on Sunday morning, state health minister Suresh Shetty, along with Bagwe, visited Shetty’s family members in Pune. The family has demanded an investigation by the CBI in the case.

“I have assured them that the state government will ensure that the case is properly and thoroughly investigated. The government will take to task all those who are involved in the case, irrespective of how big or influential they may be. The culprits will not go scot-free,” Bagwe assured Shetty’s family.

Bagwe said that the probe in the case is heading in the right direction, and added that, if need be, he will discuss the issue of a CBI investigation with chief minister Ashok Chavan.