Pune: A court on Friday acquitted all 20 accused, including Dhananjay Jayram Desai alias Bhai - the chief of the radical outfit Hindu Rashtra Sena (HRS) - in relation to a 2014 murder case of 28-year-old IT professional, Mohsin Sheikh, in Pune. Sheikh was killed on the night of June 2, 2014, in the Hadapsar area of the city while returning after offering prayers at a mosque.
The incident back in 2014 occurred amid a communal flare-up, which ignited after questionable pictures of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray went viral on social media. As per the case registered in the matter by Mohsin's brother Mobin, the former and his friend Riyaz Ahmed Mubarak Shendure were together on board a motorcycle when they were attacked by the accused.
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The group "caught up to Mohsin and Riyaz at around 9:15 pm in Unnati Nagar area" the document noted. As per reports, the assailants focused on Mohsin as he was wearing a light green shirt as well as sporting a beard and a skull cap. They broke a cement block on his head, the complaint also stated. Sheikh was rushed to a hospital but died a few hours later while undergoing treatment. After this, the police complaint was lodged at the Hadapsar Police Station by his brother, Mobin.
The group of 20, headed by Desai, were acquitted by Additional Sessions Judge SB Salunke for lack of evidence. Desai was also granted bail back on January 7, 2019, by the Bombay High Court. Desai was represented by advocate Milind Pawar, who argued before the court that the former was falsely implicated in the case, and was not present at the spot of the crime at the time.
