Techie beaten to death in Pune over over FB post, 13 arrested

Pune: The murder of a software professional in a suspected hate crime amid protests over derogatory pictures of Maratha icon Shivaji and late Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray on Facebook has left the peace loving city shocked.

28-year-old Shaikh Mohasin Sadiqwas murdered by persons with suspected links to a radical Hindu outfit- Hindu Rashtra Sena.  Shaikh, who hailed from Solapur, worked as an IT manager in private firm in the city. On Monday evening, he was returning home on a bike. Sporting a beard and a Pathani kurta, Shaikh was waylaid by a mob in Hasapsar and bludgeoned to death.
Acting swiftly, the police have arrested 13 out of the 20 suspects in the crime. Among those arrested is Dhananjay Desai, chief of Hindu Rashtra Sena, who has various criminal cases against him. A little known organisation, Hindu Rashtra Sena is rightwing outfit known for its extreme views.

Soon after they committed they crime, the killers reportedly exchanged an SMS which said, ‘Pahili wicket padli’ (the first wicket has fallen).  The message was circulated immediately after about 25 members of the Hindu extremist outfit allegedly bludgeoned Shaikh to death, Pune joint commissioner of police Sanjay Kumar was quoted as saying by a newspaper.

Police said the case was handed over to Crime Branch and they have appealed to citizens not to believe or spread rumours as the situation is peaceful.  Known as the ‘Oxford of the East’, Pune has always been considered as a safe city despite the huge influx of people from other parts of the state and the country.

However, the recent tension over the derogatory FB posts has come as a rude jolt to the peace loving Puneites.  I love my city and its culture. It is unnerving to see tensions flare up, leading to the murder of a young man, said a resident.

Bureau Report