New Delhi, Sep 8 (PTI) A Malegaon court on Thursday sentenced three accused to life imprisonment in the murder of Yashwant Sonawane, an Additional Collector in Malegaon who was burnt alive in 2011 for busting an illegal PDS diversion racket, CBI officials here said.

Additional Sessions Judge, Malegaon (Maharashtra), convicted Rajendra alias Raju Devidas Shirsath, Macchindra Piraji Suradkar alias Kachru, and Ajay Magan Sonawane for killing Yashwant Sonawane, who was burnt alive on January 25, 2011.

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Sonawane was burnt alive during a raid at a dhaba which he had found pilfering petroleum products meant for public use.

“It was alleged that Popat Dattu Shinde was running a dhaba at Jondhalwadi Shivalaya, Taluka Nandgaon, District Nashik on Manmad - Nandgaon Road.

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“The said Dhaba served as the local point for pilferage, storage, and illegal sale of petroleum products wherein the oil tankers clandestinely offloaded part of petroleum products, which were stored in cans/barrels etc and later were sold. These products were meant for the Public Distribution System," the agency said in a statement.

Sonawane, the then Additional Collector, Malegaon (Maharashtra), was on his way to Nandgaon via Manmad along with his steno-cum-PA and a driver when he busted the illicit operation.

He then proceeded to call the Supply Inspector to prepare a ‘panchnama'.

In the meantime, the accused gathered his accomplices, who ruthlessly beat the officer with iron rods and batons and put him on fire after dousing him with kerosene, they said.

Sonawane died on the spot, while the main accused, Shinde, suffered some serious burns and succumbed to injuries on November 30, 2011.

The CBI then took over the investigation on the recommendation of the Maharashtra government.

It filed a charge sheet on November 10, 2011 before the Additional Sessions Judge, Malegaon, against the three accused, and one juvenile.

"As one accused was juvenile, his matter was separately filed before Juvenile Justice Board, Nashik," the agency statement said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)