Mumbai, August 01: On Saturday, enraged Republican Party (RPI) activists virtually shut down Nalasopara on the outskirts of Mumbai, after they discovered the body of their leader Sujit Rai at an under-construction site in Shirdi Nagar at Nalasopara (East).
According to police officials, workers discovered the 32 year-old’s body on Saturday morning around 7.30 am when they arrived at work. When police reached the spot, they discovered that Rai had been hit with stones lying at the construction site. Spots on the body also indicated that he had been attacked by sharp weapons, said a source.
Did he pay for popularity?
A popular and influential man, Rai was RPI ward no 39 party president and an up-and-coming politician.
“We are investigating the matter. The materials and stones found around the body have been seized,” said police inspector Pradeep Mane of Nalasopara police station. Police have also recorded statements of locals who spotted the body, and are questioning family members to find out if the murder could be related to an internal conflict.
“We have recorded statements of several people, and are looking for possible motives. It is too early to comment on the reason behind the murder”, Mane added, not ruling out the possibility of political rivalry since Rai had been gaining popularity. A case of murder has been registered and investigations are on.
Situation normal
Although RPI activists forcefully shut shops and public transport in Nalasopara, by evening, the situation was normalised after the intervention of Deputy Superintendent of police, Deepak Devraj.