MUMBAI, FEBRUARY 10: Additional Coroner of the Cooper Coroner Court, Chandrakant D Kamble, on Monday received a letter threatening to kill him if he did not stop investigating into ``certain cases.'' The anonymous latter, posted from Goregaon, warned Kamble that the safety of his family in Pune too would be in danger if he persisted with the cases.Sources close to Kamble suspect that the letter has been written by Shiv Sainiks, as Kamble is looking into three cases in which workers of the party are allegedly involved. These cases include the mysterious death of Mahant Bhagwan Puri, the head priest of a temple occupying 10,000 sq ft plot at Bandra. The priest was allegedly kidnapped by a Shiv Sena shakha pramukh on April 17, 1997 and was found dead the next day in the temple. Another case in which Shiv Sainiks' role is being probed is the suicide of an estate agent. Pradip Tanavade strangulated himself to death after four persons duped him of Rs 33 lakh in a property deal. A suicide note he left back inhis pocket named Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray's son Jaidev Thackeray as having played a vital role in the property transaction.
Kamble is known to be a strict judge who hates people who do not respect the law, irrespective of their position. He had once pulled up the then deputy police commissioner, Satyapal Singh, for misbehaving in the courtroom. Kamble had also summoned Jaya Bachchan in a case related to the suicide of an ABCL employee. Bachchan had moved the High Court against the summons, but the HC ruled in Kamble's favour. She had to depose before Kamble in the said case.
The threatening letter that Kamble received on Monday also talks about an earlier attempt made on his life. It says: ``Beware Chandrakant Kamble, we wish to alert you. Last time you managed to escape and are still going against us by continuing with the cases. It will prove costly to you. We will kill you any time. We know your family is in Pune. We will bring their lives in trouble. Stop handling our cases otherwise rememberthat you will have to face the consequences.''
Sources said this only strengthens their suspicion that Shiv Sainiks are involved, as on July 1, 1997 a group of Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena corporators had stormed Kamble's cabin at the coroner's court and ransacked it.They had also allegedly threatened him of dire consequences if he did not stop the inquiry into a certain case. The earlier attempt the letter refers to could be this, the sources said. An FIR naming BMC Health Committee Chairman Dr Ram Barot, BJP corporator Arun Deo and Sena corporator Anita Bagwe was filed in this regard with the Juhu police. Now, the Juhu police have filed another FIR in connection with the threatening letter. Though a senior officer said investigations were on, Kamble has not been provided security as yet.
Kamble also frequently receives threatening calls at his residence. The threat is the same: we will harm you if you don't stay away from certain cases.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
