Four people, including a woman, were arrested on Wednesday in connection with the murder of IndianOil officer Mahesh Shelke, who was stabbed to death at a petrol pump in Maharashtra’s Hingoli district on Tuesday. Amon
Shelke suffered heavy blows when the attack happened and was stabbed seven times. “He was stabbed in the back, chest, head, arms and stomach. Stones were also hurled during the attack. Shelke was taken to a taluka hospital in Vasmat where he was declared dead,” the PTI report quoted a Kurunda Police Station official as saying.
The incident has drawn comparison with the 2005 killing of IndianOil officer S Manjunath in Uttar Pradesh.
Umesh Pandvir along with four other accused attacked the manager with a sharp object and they asked him, “How can he give the petrol pump to someone else to operate, according to police. Police said that he was stabbed in the back, chest, arms, and stomach.
‘Bright and promising sales officer’
Shelke, who was a manager and field officer with IndianOil, was part of a team that had gone to seal the outlet in Ambachondi village in Basmat tehsil when an argument allegedly broke out with the family members of the pump owner and others present at the site. During the visit, while the operator’s family allegedly sought more time to restart the pump, the company officials insisted on proceeding with the action, which led to an argument.
IndianOil Officers Association called the incident “unacceptable” and called on the Petroleum ministry and Maharashtra authoritied to nab the accused and extend immediate support to Shelke’s family.
