Journalist Shashikant Warishe was brutally killed in orchestrated accident: Maha Dy CM Fadnavis

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Rajapur-based journalist Shashikant Warishe was brutally killed in an accident that was carried out deliberately, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated on Friday.

Warishe, who had written against a proposed refinery in the coastal Ratnagiri district, was mowed down by an SUV, allegedly driven by a local real estate dealer, last month.

In a written response to a question about the incident in the Legislative Council, Fadnavis, who holds the home portfolio, said probe was on to ascertain whether it was pre-planned murder.

"Journalist Shashikant Warishe was brutally killed in a deliberately orchestrated accident," Fadnavis's reply said.

Warishe had written against the accused which angered him, it added.

A Special Investigation Team headed by an officer of the deputy superintendent rank is probing the case, the deputy CM said.

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Warishe (48), a journalist with Mahanagri Times, was mowed down by the SUV allegedly driven by land dealer Pandharinath Amberkar at Rajapur, 440 km from Mumbai, on February 6. He died in hospital the next day.

Opposition targeted the Eknath Shinde-led government over the death, questioning the law and order situation in the state.

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