Oil mafia burns alive additional collector

An additional district collector was on Tuesday burnt alive allegedly by petrol and diesel mafia at Manmad in Maharashtra's Nashik district, police said.

Additional District Collector Yashwant Sonawane was accompanied by his personal assistant and driver when the shocking incident took place at a roadside Dhaba near Manmad town, about 260 km from here.

"Preliminary reports say Sonawane had gone there to conduct a raid on petrol and diesel mafia. There some people, believed to be associated with the mafia, who set him on fire causing his death," Additional Director General (Law & Order) K P Rahuvanshi said.

Another report said Sonawane had stopped at a roadside hotel on way to a certain place to oversee security arrangements for an event when he found people adulterating fuel.

Sonawane objected to it, leading to a scuffle during which he was set ablaze resulting in his death.