Press Club of India, Press Association and Delhi Union of Journalists today strongly condemned the cold blooded murder of journalist, Shashikant Warishe, 48 of
Maharashtra in broad daylight by a notorious land mafia who was exposed by the
scribe through his series of writings.
In a press statement issued by the president and secretary general of of Press Club of India Umakant Lakhera ,Vinay Kumar, S. K. Pandey, president DUJ and C. K. Nayak president Press Association – the heinous murder of Shashikant has sent shock waves all over the country. He was run over inside a petrol station in Ratnagiri on Feb.07, 2023, a day after he wrote an expose on a controversial refinery project in Konkan.
The accused Pandharinath Amberkar, a land mafia who had featured in his article on Monday was allegedly driving the SUV. He has been arrested and charged with murder.
PCI, PA and DUJ while condemning the brutal crime demanded that a high-level probe by a sitting High Court judge or retired Supreme Court Judge should be conducted into the incident.
The Maharashtra Government should also announce suitable ex-gratia to the journalist’s family and ensure protection to family members and witnesses demanded PCI, PA and DUI.
The accused Amberkar is said to be a supporter of the Ratnagiri Refinery and Petrochemical project that Shashikant Warishe had written about in a series of articles in Marathi newspaper said the office bearers n senior journalists of the above media organisations in their press statement.
It is also alarming that the accused has been seen in photos with many top nationals leaders as well as of the state. His stories on
the refinery project found support by local residents who were opposed to the project and land acquisition said the press release.
The PCI, PA and DUJ said that the brutal murder has seriously affected standards of civil liberties and freedom of the press urging for high-level judicial probe which according to them can only bring the facts to light and ensure security to journalists.
