Ex-Sena minister surrenders over woman councillor's suicide

Ex-Sena minister surrenders over woman councillor's suicide
K S MANOJKUMAR

AURANGABAD, FEB 14: In a rather swift development, the former Shiv Sena minister Arjun Khotkar, who allegedly drove a woman councillor, Sangeeta Khillare, to commit suicide, has surrendered before the court and has been remanded to custody of the Sadar Bazar police in Jalna. The surrender came after the district and sessions court rejected his bail pleas in the Khillare suicide case on Wednesday, exactly one month after the incident.

Khotkar, had allegedly driven an independent woman councillor, Sangeeta Khillare to commit suicide. Arjun Khotkar, who fell just one vote short of victory against the rival Congressman in the election to the municipal chief's post, owed his defeat to Sangeeta Khillare, who he believed voted against him.

Raju Dale, a close aide of Khillare and a complainant in the case, admitted to having received rupees one lakh from Khotkar. He however maintains that the councillor did cast her vote for Khotkar as promised. ``However, no amount of pleas would convince Arjun of her innocence,'' he adds.

Khotkar, in order to teach a lesson to Sangeeta, began sending his men to her place in the Nutan colony slum area. In fact, at one time Khotkar's men had threatened her with swords and knives, which prompted the Dalit councillor to seek police protection, which she was given. However, it is still a mystery, where these police guards were on January 12, when she walked upto Khotkar's house responding to his summons.

According to Dale, Sangeeta, unable to withstand Khotkar's persistent threats, had decided to return him his money. But Khotkar began abusing her when she reached his house. Sangeeta then opened a bottle of poison and gulped its content in front of Khotkar.