Sion Police arrests NCP leader in murder case

Mumbai, Apr 27 (UNI) Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Arwind Sawant who was arrested last night in connection with the murder of his wife Chanda on December 6, 2001, was today produced before a local court here.

Judge Additional Sessions Judge Deshpane, who had directed the Sion police to conduct fresh probe into the Chanda Sawant murder case, in his interlocatory order today directed the police to produce Arwind Sawant tomorrow before Kurla magistrate for remand for further investigations.

The Judge had recently directed Senior Police Inspector of Sion Police station to re-investigate the role of Arvind Sawant.

Police had arrested two persons--Ramesh Raju Pujari and Sudhakar Krishna Pujari-- in the Chanda murder case and charges framed against them.

On March 14 this year, the judge had held Ramesh guilty and sentenced him to four years rigirous imprisonment and also imposed a fine of Rs 500, while Sudhakar was discharged in September, 2005, as there were no evidence against him.

Ramesh in his confessional statement before a magistrate had charged that Arvind Sawant was the main conspirator in the murder.

The judge in his order had observed that there were sufficient grounds to proceed against Arvind Sawant and others who were involved in the crime as per the first investigation conducted by Sion police, but were hampered because of the sudden transfer of the probe to DCB CID (crime).

The judge then directed the Sion police to reopen the case and investigate afresh the murder case.

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