Mumbai, Dec 23: Dropping a political bomb, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday alleged that a Dalit man was ‘murdered by police’ and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ‘lied’ in the legislature on the issue.

Accompanied by top party leaders, Rahul Gandhi visited the home of Somnath Vyankat Suryawanshi, 35, who was found dead in judicial custody on December 15, barely 72 hours after he was arrested in connection with the violence following the desecration of a statue of Dr B.R. Ambedkar there.

Emerging after paying condolences to the family, a grim Rahul Gandhi said that grieving Suryawanshi had shown him the post-mortem report and videos of the incidents, and also apprised him of the sequence of events thereafter.

“It’s 100 per cent a murder. The Police have beaten him… The police have murdered him in custody. He was killed because he was a Dalit and was trying to protect the Constitution. He was beaten and finished off,” said Rahul Gandhi sternly.

He also pointed an accusing finger at Fadnavis, claiming that the “CM has lied in the Assembly”, ostensibly to convey a “message to the police”.

“It is the RSS ideology to finish off the Constitution. The (MahaYuti) government and their ideology is responsible (for Suryawanshi’s death). The CM and those who thrashed him (the Dalit man) are responsible for all this,” said Rahul Gandhi determinedly.

When the media sought to know whether he was attempting to politicise the issue with his visit and statements, the Lok Sabha LOP contested the claim, even as Bharatiya Janata Party leaders flayed his remarks.

“There’s no politics here. It’s a matter of justice. There’s been a murder. It’s a question of ideology. We want immediate action in the matter. We want this to be resolved and those behind it must be punished,” Rahul Gandhi demanded.

Taking a cue, Maharashtra Congress President Nana F. Patole said that the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will soon move a breach of privilege motion against the CM for misleading the House on Suryawanshi’s death.

“The CM had said that he (Suryawanshi) was suffering from breathing problems and had died. Earlier the police had said he had complained of chest pains. The autopsy report (December 16) mentioned ‘shock following multiple injuries’ as the cause of death,” pointed out Patole.

Subsequently, an unfazed Fadnavis dismissed Rahul Gandhi’s remarks as ‘political’ and reiterated that the MahaYuti government has already initiated two probes into the matter, and justice would be done with stringent punishment to the accused.

Earlier, sporting a dark blue tee-shirt — symbolizing the Dalit colour, Rahul Gandhi entered the Suryawanshi home bare feet, bowed and paid homage to a portrait of Somnath, a law student, and then walked inside to greet the family with a ‘Namaste’, this afternoon.

He sat on the floor beside the mourning family members hailing from the Wadar community. They related the sequence of events leading to Somnath Suryawanshi’s death in judicial custody and showed him certain documents.

Rahul Gandhi gave them a patient hearing, nodded his head on several occasions, paid condolences and promised to ensure justice for the deceased man.

Later, he travelled to the home of another Dalit social worker Vijay Wakode, who suffered a heart attack and succumbed while attempting to control the rampaging mobs on December 11-12.

Rahul Gandhi was accompanied by top leaders like AICC’s Ramesh Chennithala, state President Nana Patole, MPs Dr Shivaji Kalge, Ravindra V. Chavan, Dr Kalyan Kale, MLAs Vijay Wadettiwar, Amit Deshmukh, senior leaders Vijay Balasaheb Thorat, President of State SC Department Siddharth Hattiambire, Nana Gawande, Atul Londhe and others.

Suryawanshi was arrested in connection with the violent incidents that ensued after the desecration of a statue of Dr Ambedkar near Parbhani Railway Station on December 10, by one ‘mentally disturbed’ person named Sopan Pawar.

After the sacrilege, a violent and tense shutdown was observed in Parbhani, while the local police swooped down and detained/arrested around 300 persons, mostly Dalits, including Suryawanshi on December 12.

Barely 72 hours later, Suryawanshi was found dead in judicial custody, sparking a massive furore with the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and INDIA bloc allies raising the issue at multiple levels.

New Delhi, Dec 23: The Delhi High Court is slated to deliver on Monday its judgment on anticipatory bail plea of sacked Maharashtra cadre probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar, who allegedly submitted false OBC and PwBD (Persons with Benchmark Disabilities) certificates and fraudulently availed attempts beyond the permissible limits provided for the Civil Services Examination (CSE) by faking her identity.

As per the causelist published on the website of the Delhi HC, a bench of Justice Chandra Dhari Singh will pronounce its verdict on December 23.

Earlier on November 28, Justice Singh-led Bench reserved its decision after hearing both sides. It was then clarified that till the judgment is delivered, the interim relief granted earlier to Puja Khedkar shielding her from arrest will continue.

Asking Khedkar to cooperate with the investigation, the Delhi High Court, in an interim order passed on August 12, granted her protection from arrest.

Earlier, a court here had turned down her anticipatory bail plea and asked the investigating agency to find out if anyone from inside the UPSC had helped Khedkar.

Widening the scope of the probe, Additional Sessions Judge Devender Kumar Jangala had asked Delhi Police to investigate if other people recommended by the UPSC have availed quota benefits without entitlement.

The Centre, on September 7, sacked Khedkar from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) with immediate effect, a month after the UPSC cancelled her selection in government service. Khedkar has been found guilty of faking and wrongly availing OBC and disability quota benefits.

After cancelling her selection, the UPSC also barred her for life from taking the entrance exam after finding her guilty of faking her identity to take the exam multiple times.

In a status report submitted to the Delhi High Court, Delhi Police had contended that former Maharashtra cadre probationary IAS officer Khedkar had submitted two separate disability certificates for her UPSC exam. The disability certificates dated 2018 and 2021 citing ‘multiple disabilities’ were purportedly issued by the Ahmednagar District Civil Hospital for her UPSC attempts made in 2022 and 2023.

However, as per Delhi Police’s status report, the hospital authorities had denied that the certificates claiming ‘multiple disabilities’ were issued to her by them. It was found that Khedkar availed relaxed criteria for OBC candidates and persons with disabilities.

It then came to light that her father, a former Maharashtra government officer, had property to the tune of Rs 40 crore and that she did not qualify for the non-creamy layer OBC quota.

The UPSC had said that its Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) “could not detect her number of attempts primarily because she changed not only her name but also her parents’ names”.

The Delhi High Court also issued notice to Khedkar on an application filed by the UPSC alleging that she committed perjury by swearing a false affidavit and making a false statement in relation to her anticipatory bail plea.

In its application, the UPSC disputed that it did not collect any biometrics (eyes and fingerprints) during Khedkar’s personality test and she made a “false statement” regarding the collection of her biometrics for obtaining favourable orders.

Pune (Maharashtra), Dec 23: In a horrific incident, two toddlers and a man were crushed to death when a speeding dumper mowed nine pavement dwellers here on Monday.

The police said the incident happened around 1 a.m. at Wagholi near the Kesnand Phata when a dumper of a private company from Pune veered onto the footpath and ran over the people, all labourers sleeping in shanties there.

At least three persons, including two minors and another man, were killed instantly while six others were seriously injured in the mishap.

According to preliminary information, the dumper driver was allegedly in an inebriated state and lost control of the heavy vehicle, said to be owned by Buildwell Enterprises, while going from Pune to Wagholi.

The victims are identified as: One-year-old Vaibhavi Ritesh Pawar, her two-year-old brother Vaibhav Ritest Pawar, and a man named Rinesh N. Pawar, 30. They were all sleeping beside each other when the tragedy hit them.

The condition of the six others injured has been described as critical. They have been admitted to the Sassoon Hospital.

According to locals, around a dozen workers had arrived here from Amravati on Sunday to work as labourers in different construction sites in the region.

Local police and officials have launched a probe into the exact causes of the disaster as initial reports suggest that the driver was purportedly in a drunken state, said locals who rushed there to help the victims.

The accident site was an eerie scene with bodies of the victims and injured, blood splattered all around, and the bare belongings, clothes or utensils of the labourers strewn in the vicinity, resembling a war zone.

Later, the police arranged to move the dumper, completed the relevant formalities and cleared the footpath, said the locals, as people vented their angst on social media.