Sanitation worker killed in firing during wild boar hunt in Sanjay Gandhi park; doctor among four held

A firing incident in a group that had gone to hunt wild boar in the forest of Sanjay Gandhi National Park left Vijay Sukhru Sapte (60) dead. Sapte was a sanitation worker with the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation. The incident took place in the Chena beat area at Thane. The group is said to have fired by mistake.

Two others were injured in the firing. They are Kunal Shelar and Kalpesh Dhangala, and they are being treated in hospital.

It has emerged that information about the incident was concealed from the police. The accused who fired the shots performed Sapte's last rites at dawn. Action was taken on the allegation that an attempt was made to dispose of the body and destroy evidence, and under sections relating to murder. Some persons and a doctor were arrested.

A false death certificate citing a heart attack was obtained from a private doctor. Kashigaon police investigated the entire matter, and four people, including the doctor who issued the false certificate, have been arrested. The names of those arrested have emerged as Mahesh Gaikar, Katod, Bistur and Labhad.

Dr Rajesh Palande is said to have viewed the body over a video call and issued a certificate stating that Sapte died of a heart attack at home. In fact, he was required to inform the local police station, but this was not done. Palande runs the Ashish Multispeciality Hospital in Bhayandar and holds an MD in homoeopathy.

Palande, who has been arrested, is said to be active in the Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena. He is also said to be close to Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik. He was elected president of a doctors' association a few months ago, and the appointment certificate was handed over by Sarnaik, it is learnt.

An inquiry is under way into who used the weapon in the firing, whose it was and whether it was licensed. The park administration is said to be initiating the process of registering a separate case under the wildlife protection law.

Assistant Police Inspector Suhas Kamble is investigating the case under the guidance of Rahulkumar Patil, senior police inspector of the Mira-Bhayandar Crime Detection Branch Unit 01 and Kashigaon police station.