INDIA. Mumbai: Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse-Patil announced a high-level probe into the suicide by art director Raju Sapte in Pimpri-Chinchwad area on July 03, due to harassment by a labour leader even as police arrested two persons in connection with the incident, on Tuesday.
Marathi movie and TV show art director Raju Sapte was found dead at his home in Pimpri in Pune, on Saturday. He ws known for working in movies like Ambat Goad, Manyaa The Wonder Boy, etc. He reportedly took his life due to harassment by a labour leader. The police subsequently arrested two persons in an abetment to suicide case.
The arrested accused include Chandan Ramkrishna Thakre (Sapte’s business partner) and Naresh Baburao Vishwakarma. They have been remanded to police custody till July 10.
The police are on the lookout for Rakesh Maurya, Gangeshwar Srivastav, and Ashok Dube, accused of driving Sapte to commit suicide, DCP Anand Bhoite said. Maurya, Srivastav, and Dube are the office bearers of the Film Studios Setting & Allied Mazdoor Union (FSAMU).
On Tuesday, in the Monsoon session of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. Home Minister Dilip Walse-Patil said that he spoke to Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad police commissioners about the incident seeking early arrest of the culprits. He announced that he has convened a meeting of senior home department officers on Wednesday to discuss the issue and after inquiry, the action will be taken.
Before committing the suicide, Sapte had shot a video wherein he labelled the person-Rakesh Maurya, who he contended, had victimized him. In the video, he said that he was being tortured. Maurya was imploring labourers to spread wrong messages regarding payment defaults on his part. “I don’t have any dues and have been paying regularly. I have five projects lined up and have to start work immediately”, Sapte claimed, adding that the person wasn’t letting him work on one of the projects. The police recovered the video clip and a suicide note.
Sapte’s wife Sonali Sapte told the “Transcontinental Times” that her husband was being harassed by Maurya due to which his film projects were stalled. Besides, he was demanding Rs 15 to Rs 20 lakh from her husband claiming to be the old dues.
Phone- tapping
In another development, on Tuesday, the issue of Phone tapping also figured in the Maharashtra legislative assembly, when former Speaker Nana Patole said that his phone was tapped between 2016-2017. He wanted to know whether the phone tapping directions were given at the level of the Chief Minister or at what level. It should be revealed.
Valse Patil said that action will be taken against those who were involved in phone tapping. He said there is a procedure to order phone tapping or put anybody’s phone under surveillance. He reiterated that the intelligence commissioner seeks the permission of the additional chief secretary (home) before the decision to tap the phone is taken. It is not done at the level of CM or home minister.
NCP minister Jayant Patil urged the home minister to inquire with central agencies about the phone tapping being done of the members of the Maharashtra Legislature. In response,
Walse-Patil said he will seek the necessary information and inform the house about the phone tapping if done by the central agencies.
