Chargesheets filed in Kini case

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Friday chargesheeted Laxmichand Shah, Suman Shah and Ashutosh Rane in the Ramesh Kini murder case.

The chargesheet was filed in the court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Shivajirao Dhumal. The accused have been charged with criminal conspiracy, forcing Ramesh Kini to vacate his flat at Laxmi Nivas, Matunga, north central Bombay and later commit suicide. Laxmichand Shah and Suman Shah are owners of the Laxmi Nivas building while Ashutosh Rane is the leader of Shiv Sena's student wing.

Kini was found dead on July 23, 1996 in Alka theatre, Pune. The mysterious death kicked off a political storm in the state as Kini's wife Sheela alleged the hand of Raj Thackeray, nephew of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, in her husband's death. The two post-mortems conducted by doctors in Pune and Bombay also gave different opinions. Raj Thackeray's name does not figure in the chargesheet filed on Friday.

The state government had ordered a Criminal Investigation Department inquiry into the case. However, Opposition parties demanded the probe be handed over to the CBI. Kini's wife Sheila and social activist Pushpa Bhave filed a writ in the Bombay high court. The court directed that the government hand over the investigations to the CBI. The state government unsuccessfully appealed against the verdict in the Supreme Court and the CBI took over the investigations from the CID on November 27, 1996.

The state government also appointed a committee under Dr Subhash Salunke, director of health services, to look into the two post mortem reports, and to investigate the cause of Kini's mysterious death.

When the CBI took over the case, it asked Dr C P Singh, medical superintendent of the Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, New Delhi, to look into the cause of the death. Dr Singh did not give any opinion.

The chargesheet was filed by CBI Superintendent of Police Harbans Singh. ACMM Dhumal issued bailable warrants of Rs 10,000 each against all the three accused and adjourned the case till September 29.

"I was fully confident that Raj could never have been involved in such a dirty episode. No one from the Thackeray family could be; but those who wanted to destroy the Thackeray family played their dirty politics till the end. Still, we never felt intimidated. Go through all the earlier newspapers; you will find that we had always expressed our faith that Raj was innocent and our faith proved us right. Why be afraid of the law when we are innocent?" Bal Thackeray said, reacting to the CBI decision not to chargesheet his nephew in the Ramesh Kini murder case.

Thackeray glossed over the Shahs and Rane's reported proximity to his nephew.

"Raj used to tell the newspapers, 'why only the CID and CBI? Let even Interpol investigate. I'm ready. In the end truth, always prevails'," the Sena leader said. "Maybe it took a long time but truth finally prevailed. Raj had the blessing of our Shiv Sainiks, well-wishers and upright Marathi mothers and sisters."

Additional reportage: Prasanna D Zore