Pune cops to probe Facebook threats to NCP lawmaker

Pune police will probe death threats Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) state executive president Jeetendra Awhad is getting over social networking site Facebook by some unknown people, an official said here Sunday.

Sangavi police station head Saifan Mujavar said the threats were posted on a particular Facebook page, whose origins police are trying to trace to identify the unknown culprits.

Thane legislator Awhad, 48, has allegedly been targeted for his utterances against some right-wing groups following the killing of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar in Pune Aug 20.

The threats on Facebook using abusive language against the NCP leader said that "Awhad would go the Dabholkar way", which Pune police have taken seriously.

The threats reportedly follow the recent affidavit by Pune police in the Bombay High Court that investigators have ruled out the involvement of right-wing fanatics in shooting of Dabholkar.

However, state Home Minister R.R. Patil reiterated that nothing was being ruled out and the Dabholkar probe was being carried out examining all possible angles.

The founder of the Maharashtra Andhshraddha Nirmoolan Samiti (MANS), Dabholkar was gunned down by at least three unidentified assailants when he was on a morning walk near the Omkareshwar temple, close to his residence, Aug 20. The killing of the much respected rationalist created a nationwide furore.

He was instrumental in pushing the state government to frame an anti-superstition law which was finally approved and passed as an ordinance a day after his murder.

The new law seeks to eradicate black magic, blind faith, superstitious beliefs, rituals and sacrifices to drive out evil spirits or ensure male progeny, perpetrated by self-styled godmen and witchcraft and wizardry practitioners.