Ahmednagar families demand justice for murdered kin, allege political pressure | Mumbai news

MUMBAI: Two families from Shrirampur in Ahmednagar district are demanding an investigation into the murder of two family members and the arrest of the main accused, who they allege has close links with a senior politician from the district.

The deceased are Rahul Pimple (29) and his maternal uncle Bharat Kale, who are alleged to have been murdered a few months ago. Kale was allegedly killed after a dispute with a neighbour turned ugly. Pimple was allegedly murdered for supporting his uncle.

Addressing the media at the Mumbai Press Club on Tuesday, Anandraj Ambedkar, president of the Republican Sena, which is supporting the aggrieved families, demanded a probe into the two alleged murders by a Special Investigation Team (SIT). He also called for the resignation of guardian minister of Ahmednagar, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, claiming that justice has been denied to the victims’ families as the main accused is still at large, months after the alleged murders took place.

Speaking at the media conference, Rahul Pimple, sister-in-law Vaishali Pimple, who has been protesting at Azad Maidan for the last 15 days with other family members, said, “Rahul Pimple was determined to seek justice for his maternal uncle, Bharat Kale. However, he was under constant pressure to withdraw the case. When Rahul refused, our family received multiple death threats, which ultimately led to his brutal murder in November 2024.”

Trouble began with the alleged murder of Bharat Kale on June 30, 2024, at Guha Phata, Rahta, Ahmednagar. The families claim it was staged as a road accident. According to Vaishali Pimple, the situation had escalated from a minor argument with neighbours. “We never thought an argument would cost us two lives,” she said.

“Two days after the argument, a neighbour took Bharat Kale in a car on the pretext of work. The next day, we received a call saying there had been an accident, and that one person had minor injuries but Kale had died. When we visited the spot, it was clear he had been murdered,” said Vaishali.

“Rahul, the most educated member of our family, pointed out discrepancies and filed an FIR for murder (of Kale). That’s when the threats began. Powerful people in our village began pressuring Rahul to withdraw the complaint, but he stood firm for five months. Eventually, he was murdered. He was dragged from a tea stall and stabbed multiples times. While three people have been arrested for the murder, the main accused is absconding,” added Vaishali.

Ashok Jadhav Dhangaonkar, national president of the OBC Sangharsh Federation, demanded an SIT or CID inquiry. “The police are under political pressure and shielding the main accused due to his close ties with a senior politician from the district. We demand the immediate arrest of the main accused,” he said.

Mahadev Jankar, national president of the Rashtriya Samaj Paksh (RSP), questioned the law and order situation in Maharashtra. “Instead of addressing real issues like rising attacks on marginalised communities (the Pimple and Kale families are from the Pardhi community), the government is busy debating Aurangzeb,” Jankar said.

Suresh Mane, President of the Bahujan Republican Socialist Party (BRSP); Gajanan Shirsat, president, Indian Socialist Republican Association; and Ravikant Rathod, president of the Banjara Brigade, said they will not give up the fight until justice is served.