A 38-year-old man, who was making a video in Maharashtra’s Beed district claiming that he would “no longer exist” if Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Pankaja Munde loses the Lok Sabha elections, was crushed to death under a bus on Friday night. The incident took place around 9 pm on Ahmedpur Andohri Road near Borgaon Pati.
Police believe the death may have been a suicide.
The victim, identified as Sachin Kondiva Munde, a truck driver from Yestar in Ahmedpur in Latur district, had released the blackmail video before the Lok Sabha election results were out. “If Pankaja Munde loses the election, Sachin will be no more,” he said in the video.
The victim was depressed and kept quiet after Pankaja Munde of the Bharatiya Janata Party lost the Beed seat to Congress leader Bajrang Sonawane by 6,553 votes in a closely fought election, PTI reported, citing family members.
Meanwhile, police have arrested the bus driver and investigations are on.
“Investigations are on to find out whether it was an accident or suicide. The incident occurred when the night bus from Yardelwadi was stopped at Borgaon Patti. Sachin was standing at the back of the bus and was crushed to death when the bus reversed,” an official from Kingaon police station was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
Accordingly, the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) bus that hit Munde has also been seized as part of the investigation.
Another incident, believed to be a suicide by a supporter of Pankaja Munde, was reported in Beed newspaper on Sunday morning. Times of India According to reports, the man, identified as Pandurang Sonawane, allegedly committed suicide after the BJP leader lost his Beed constituency seat.
Police also found a note in which the 30-year-old victim wrote that he was going to take his own life as he “could not bear” the defeat of his leader, the report added.
(With inputs from PTI)
