Maharashtra Minister of State for Home, Yogesh Kadam, on Wednesday announced the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the murder of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Taluka President Sachin Kurmi. The announcement came during a session in the Maharashtra Legislative Council after Kurmi’s family accused the police of shielding the culprits. The demand for a fair probe was raised not only by the opposition but also by members of the ruling party.
Kurmi’s family alleged that despite having knowledge of the main conspirators, the police deliberately failed to arrest them. They also claimed that the accused are being protected under political influence, further intensifying the pressure on law enforcement agencies.
Raising the issue in the Legislative Council, NCP leader and MLC Pankaj Bhujbal questioned the handling of the case. He pointed out that no action had been taken against the key suspects and that Sachin Kurmi’s son was recently threatened while on his way to college. Bhujbal also alleged that police have not yet examined the Call Detail Records (CDR) related to the case. He demanded an SIT probe and strict action against those involved in the murder.
Responding to the matter, Minister Yogesh Kadam informed the House that six arrests have been made so far, and the accused have been booked under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). He said that preliminary investigations suggest that the murder stemmed from a financial dispute. While the names of other suspects have come to light, they are yet to be officially named as accused in the case. Kadam assured that all angles, including CDR and other technical evidence, will be thoroughly investigated and no one will be spared.
Sachin Kurmi, a close aide of senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal and Taluka President of the party, was brutally murdered with sharp weapons in the Byculla area of Mumbai on the night of October 4, 2024. Kurmi had reportedly visited the MHADA Colony in Byculla around midnight, when a group of unidentified attackers ambushed him and inflicted fatal injuries with sharp-edged weapons.
When police arrived at the scene, Kurmi was found lying in a pool of blood. He was immediately rushed to J.J. Hospital in a police vehicle, but was declared dead before treatment could begin.
Police have so far arrested six individuals in connection with the case, even as the demand for justice and an impartial probe continues to grow.