Shiv Sainik killed in Ahmednagar had made 4 threat calls to ‘turncoat’

AHMEDNAGAR: The probe into the murder of two Shiv Sena men in Kedgaon following the results of a civic bypoll has revealed that one of the victims had made at least four threat calls to a local Sainik on the suspicion that he had “betrayed” the party. The Sainik in turn had called the Congress winner of the bypoll, Vishal Kotkar, for help, and Vishal sent armed four men to the Sainik’s home.The Sena functionaries were killed near the man’s residence after an argument with the armed men.
Ravi Kollam, the Sainik who called the Congressman, was arrested from a village in Pune on Thursday and has been remanded in police custody for six days. The Congressman, Vishal Kotkar, has been on the run since the murders.

The bypoll was called after Sandip Kotkar of Congress was convicted in a murder case. It was decided that Sandip’s cousin Vishal would contest the polls on a Congress ticket. Days later, Sena’s Vijay Pathare lost to Vishal by a slender margin of 450 votes. The loss did not go well with Sanjay Kotkar, deputy chief of the Sena’s Ahmednagar unit.
Ahmednagar police said while examining the poll results, Sanjay deduced that the Sena candidate had received fewer votes than expected from a particular area. He suspected foul play by Ravi Kollam, a local Sainik, and made threat calls to him the same afternoon.
Police have the phone call records. Superintendent of police Ranjan Kumar Sharma told TOI, “Ravi Kollam has not deleted records of calls he made or received that day. It seems Sanjay Kotkar blamed Kollam for the low vote from Shahunagar. He made at least four calls threatening Kollam of dire consequences.”
When Kollam received the threats, he panicked and called Vishal for help. Vishal sent four men, including arrested accused Sandeep Gunjal, to Kollam’s home, police said.
Gunjal reached Kollam’s house with his countrymade firearm and was soon joined by three other men, allegedly also sent by Vishal. When the two Sena functionaries -- Sanjay Kotkar and Vasant Thube -- reached Kollam’s residence, the four were waiting for them. An argument resulted, after which Gunjal shot at Sanjay and the others fired three rounds at Thube, who tried to flee. Thube was stabbed and his throat slit, police said.
The assailants were then about to flee from the spot when they saw the injured Sanjay speaking on his cellphone. Alarmed, they stabbed him to death, police said.
Sanjay’s son Sangram has told police the arrested NCP MLA Sangram Jagtap had confronted his father during the polls and threatened to kill him.
Police have recovered the records of a call that Kollam’s wife made to him informing him of the murders in front of their house. Gunjal himself contacted sub-inspector Sanjay Sone, confessed to the murders and surrendered at Jamner. Call records show that he was in touch with Vishal before as well as after the murders, the police said.
Gunjal has told the local police that he had aspired to be a policeman but had failed to crack the Maharashtra Public Service Examinations.
Gunjal and his family have been living in the Patil Colony on Nepti Road for the past 12 years, the police said. After the twin murders, his family has left the town.