Former ZP functionary lynched to death, 17 held

Nagpur, Feb 8 (UNI) A former Nagpur Zilla Parishad vice president was lynched to death in village Tarsa, about 45 kilometres from here, during a political meeting to discuss the ZP elections which was attended by Maharashtra Minister for public works Anil Deshmukh.

The police have arrested 17 people in connection with this incident today.

Miscreants beat up one Dnyaneshwar Sathawane late last night and he succumbed to his injuries early today while undergoing treatment at a private nursing home. The miscreants had hit him with a stone and also stabbed him with a sharp weapon, police said.

The incident occurred during a meeting being attended by Maharashtra Minister for Public Works Anil Deshmukh, among others, in connection with a by-election to the ZP, scheduled for today.

A section of the crowd at the meeting accused Sathawane of having been involved in the murder of Gopal Lohabare, a Shiv Sena member of the ZP, and began pelting stones.

The glasses of Mr Deshmukh's private car and another vehicle were smashed in the stone pelting. The miscreants also pounced upon Sathawane and beat him up, even as security men whisked Mr Deshmukh away to safety, police said.

The by-election for was necessitated by Gopal Lohabare's death.

The Shiv Sena has fielded his widow for the poll. Mr Lohabare was killed by unidentified assailants near village Tarsa on August 19 last, which is also suspected to have been the outcome of old enmity. The police had questioned Sathawane in connection with Lohabare's murder once, but never named him as a suspect.

Among the 17 people arrested today in connection with Sathawane's murder are Gangadhar Lohabare and Haribhau Lohabare, brothers of the late Gopal Lohabare.

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