Plot to kill Miraj-based education group head foiled; 3 held, search on for main suspect; 2 firearms seized

Kolhapur: The Sangli police on Saturday claimed to have foiled a plot to kill Sanjay Bhokare, chairman of a Miraj-based group of educational institutes, following the arrest of three suspected hired killers, all residents of Sangli, and recovery of a couple of firearms, four live rounds and a big sized knife. A search is on for the main suspect, who hired the trio allegedly to eliminate Bhokare, police said. Bhokare is head of Shri Ambabai Talim Sanstha which runs multiple educational institutions.Police identified the arrested trio as — Ganesh Chandrakant Lokhande (33) of Haripur Road; Viraj Prakash Butale (41) and Sangram Sambhaji Phadtare (27), both from Ambedkar Road. "The three have confessed that they were hired by the main suspect to eliminate Bhokare," Sangli's additional superintendent of police Kalpana Barawkar said. The suspects are in police custody till Monday, as per a court order.Preliminary investigation, based on the trio's questioning, revealed that the main suspect had a dispute with Bhokare over a parcel of land. "He wanted to get rid of Bhokare to gain control over the prime land and he hired the trio to kill Bhokare, and paid them money to buy weapons in Feb. After buying the pistols and rounds from Uttar Pradesh the trio checked whether these firearms were working or not by firing four rounds in a coconut field near Sangli," Barawkar added.The officer said, "For the last three months, the trio studied Bhokare's movements and were planning to kill him when he would be on the way to his office."Police investigation revealed that two of the suspects visited a place in Uttar Pradesh to buy the firearms and bullets in Feb. The three found out that Bhokare, who also runs a local newspaper, visits his media office every Friday evening. "Our local crime branch team found the three sitting in a car with firearms and rounds waiting for Bhokare. Upon questioning, they revealed the plot," said Barawkar."Two of the three suspects are associated with a political party," Barawkar said and added that the police haven't come across any political angle behind the plot. The motive appears to be the property issue and personal grudges the main suspect has with Bhokare, she said.The party has issued a release stating that the two of the suspects associated with the party are economically well off and that they have been falsely implicated to hasten the process of grant of police protection to Bhokare and his son against such applications moved by the father-son duo.