Satish Shetty murder case: Andhalkar says current CBI probe in the ‘right direction’

During a press conference on Friday, Andhalkar said he has been falsely implicated in the case as part of a political conspiracy.

“Satish was a friend and used to call me when he faced a problem….I never spoke to Satish from a different number. Satish was a brave man, never afraid of anyone. Had I called him from a different number with wrong intention, he would name me in his complaint. But he did not,” says Bhausaheb Andhalkar.

Retired police inspector Bhausaheb Andhalkar, an accused in the RTI activist Satish Shetty murder, who came out on bail two days ago, said on Friday that the investigation by the current Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team, which had arrested him, is headed in the right direction. He referred to the investigation by the CBI team that had filed “closure report” in the murder case as “doubtful”.

During a press conference on Friday, Andhalkar said he has been falsely implicated in the case as part of a political conspiracy. “I am not saying anything about the current CBI team, which is probing the case in the right direction,” he said.

However, when asked if he agreed with the chargesheet filed by the current CBI team that alleged that he procured a mobile SIM card on a proxy name and called Shetty from it on November 22, 2009, Andhalkar denied it.

The CBI had arrested Andhalkar and retired assistant inspector Namdev Kauthale in April this year and filed a chargesheet against the duo in July 4. The CBI did not invoke murder charges against them. The duo were only charged under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 193creating false evidence), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence, 211 (false charge of offence made) and 218 (public servant framing incorrect record) of IPC. Apparently, the sessions courts granted bail to the two former cops on July 20.

It may be recalled that based on documents obtained under RTI, Shetty has lodged a complaint of cheating and forgery at the Lonavala city police station on October 15, 2009 against IRB’s chairman and managing director Virendra Mhaiskar and 12 others, including the then sub registrar Ashwini Kshirsagar, alleging illegal purchase of land in Maval taluka of Pune district.

As per the chargesheet, “Accused BR Andhalkar obtained SIM card by submitting the documents of one Ganesh Gaikwad, resident of Bhor, Pune. From the said mobile, accused BR Andhalkar called Satish Shetty in November 22, 2009 at 8.51 pm for a duration of 442 seconds. Thereafter, on the next two consecutive days, November 23 and 24, deceased Satish Shetty filed two applications to SP (Rural), Pune for police protection for himself and his family members concerned about life threat. It is also revealed that the application of the deceased dated November 23 was endorsed to BR Andhalkar in the capacity of Police Inspector, Local Crime Branch, Pune by additional superintendent Ramnath Pokle with the direction to do the needful and submit the report within seven days. But Andhalkar failed to do so and as a result deceased Satish Shetty was murdered (in Talegaon Dabhade) on January 13, 2010.”

Andhalkar refuted the allegations saying, “Satish was a friend and used to call me when he faced a problem….I never spoke to Satish from a different number. Satish was a brave man, never afraid of anyone. Had I called him from a different number with wrong intention, he would name me in his complaint. But he did not.”

Pune Rural police had filed a closure report in the land case on September 9, 2011. But the CBI sought orders from the Bombay High Court (HC) to set aside this closure report, saying as it could be linked to his murder. However, CBI filed a closure report in the murder case on August 11, 2014, giving a clean chit to IRB’s Mhaiskar and other suspects.

Andhalkar said. “I used to speak to many people. Making phone calls does not mean I was involved in the murder.” The probe done by the CBI team that filed the chargesheet is suspicious. Andhalkar also claimed this CBI team conducted his polygraphy test at a senior police officer’s residential bungalow in Akurdi, instead of labs in Mumbai and Delhi.

The CBI had re-opened the murder case in January 2015 and arrested Andhalkar and Kauthale in April 2016 alleging that they “conspired with others and fabricated evidences to shield the real conspirators and killers.”