BJP leader denies murder charge levelled by ex-driver

BJP leader Vishwajit Krishnarao Rane, who has been accused by his former driver of killing a man over 10 years ago, today said allegations levelled against him were "politically motivated".
Pandurang Adarkar, a former driver of Rane, has claimed he had witnessed the killing of one Shanu Gaonkar in 2006 by the BJP leader, who contested the February 4 Goa Assembly election from Poriem constituency.
"The allegations are baseless. I had removed the driver from his job two months before election as he used to pick up quarrels with people," Rane told PTI, breaking his silence over the allegations which surfaced on Sunday.

"The conduct of the driver would have worked against me during the elections so I relieved him of his duty and sent back home.
"During election campaigning, he often called me and requested to take him back in service, but I did not entertain him as I was busy in the campaigning," he said.
The BJP leader said he was shocked after a video surfaced on social media in which Adarkar purportedly claimed he was a witness to Rane "shooting" Gaonkar dead in Sattari tehsil.

"He has been used by my political opponents for their gains. The allegations are politically motivated," Rane maintained.

The driver, currently detained by Valpoi police, had claimed Rane shot Gaonkar in a bar to avenge the killing of his brother Prithviraj who was lynched by a mob in 2005.
Police have started a preliminary inquiry into the allegations and are recording statements of people named by Adarkar in the video.
Inspector Dipak Pednekar has said he would not summon Rane till preliminary inquiry is over.
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The Congress leader said police were under pressure from some of their seniors due to which there is no fair inquiry into the claims made by Adarkar, a native of Kolhapur in adjoining Maharashtra.

In a related development, social activist Aires Rodrigues today moved a petition before Goa State Human Rights Commission seeking directives to the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police to conduct an impartial inquiry in the case.
Rane contested the Assembly election from Poriem constituency against Congress leader Pratapsinh Rane.