Man tries to commit suicide for rightwing leader Sambhaji Bhide arrest in Bhima-Koregaon case

MUMBAI: Ganesh Pawar, a worker of Republican Sena demanding the arrest of rightwing leader Sambhaji Bhide in the Bhima-Koregaon case, tried to immolate himself at the entrance of state secretariat (Mantralaya) here on Wednesday.

Police averted the effort and detained him.

Pawar, a resident of Rahuri in Ahmednagar district, came near the Mantralaya entrance at around 1.30 pm shouting slogans for the arrest of Bhide and poured kerosene over himself.

The security guards immediately rushed to him and prevented him. He was then rushed to the Marine Drive police station.

A case has been registered against Sambhaji Bhide of the Sangli based ‘Shri Shiva Pratishthan Hindustan’ in the Bhima-Koregaon riots of January 1 this year.

He is charged of instigating the violence.

However, the state government had given him a clean chit last month saying that there had been no evidence against him.