Pansare killing: Suspect with right-wing links nabbed

Kolhapur (Maharashtra), Sep 16  A person associated with a right-wing group was arrested from Sangli town in connection with the killing of senior Communist leader Govind Pansare on February 20, a top police official said here on Wednesday.

The suspect, Samir V. Gaikwad, 30, is connected with the Hindu organisation Sanatan Sanstha since 1998.

Pansare was attacked on February 16 in Kolhapur when he was shot at from a close range. Pansare, 81, died of bullet injuries four days later.

Additional Director General of Police (CID), Pune, Sanjay Kumar told media persons here that the suspect could be "directly or indirectly connected" with the Pansare killing.

After the joint action by the Kolhapur and Sangli police, Gaikwad, who runs a mobile phones repair business, was nabbed from a place in Sangli around 4.30 a.m. on Wednesday and was remanded inpolice custody for a week by a Kolhapur court.