In a chilling act of retaliation, 30-year-old BJP worker and gram panchayat member Atul Patil was brutally murdered early in the morning for uncovering a land scam in Pipla Dakbungalow village, located in Saoner tehsil, Maharashtra.
The murder occurred around 2:30 am, reportedly orchestrated by Himanshu Kumbhalkar, who carried out the act under the direction of Vishnu Kokdade, the former Sarpanch of the area. Kokdade is the husband of Mukta Kokdade, a former Zilla Parishad president.
According to officials, Patil’s whistleblowing had triggered a police investigation into Kokdade for allegedly approving illegal housing plans using forged documents. This exposure reportedly led Kokdade to conspire in the murder to silence Patil and prevent further political fallout.
The incident has caused significant political unrest. BJP MLA Ashish Deshmukh has demanded a fast-track trial, citing the case as a dangerous precedent against whistleblowers and those fighting local corruption.
Both Kokdade and Kumbhalkar have been arrested and are currently undergoing legal proceedings in the Saoner court.
The investigation is ongoing, with authorities examining political links and potential additional conspirators.
