Maharashtra: Protest held in Ratnagiri against Journalist Shashikant Warishe's murder

Several hundred journalists held a protest in Ratnagiri in Maharashtra against the murder of their colleague Shashikant Warishe earlier this week.

Warishe (48) was mowed down by an SUV allegedly driven by land dealer Pandharinath Amberkar on February 6 in Rajapur in Ratnagiri, some 440 kilometres from here, and died in hospital the next day.

Amberkar, arrested for murder, allegedly used to threaten any person who opposed land acquisition for a proposed refinery in the area. An article written by Warishe against Amberkar had appeared in a local Marathi newspaper on the morning of the incident.

The protests were held from 11:30am outside the tehsildar’s office, with journalists taking part along with activists of Barsu Solgaon Panchakroshi Refinery Virodhi Sanghatna, which has been opposing the proposed refinery, and members of the Kunabi Samaj. The protest went on till 2pm after which those taking part submitted a memorandum at the tehsildar’s office.

They sought the setting up of a special investigation team to probe the murder, slapping of Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against the accused, as well as trial in a fast track court under a specially appointed public prosecutor.